Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

With José Quintana down and likely to miss some time with a rib injury, it is likely that David Peterson or Tylor Megill will get the call to replace him in the Mets rotation to start the season.

Peterson took a comebacker hit off the foot on Saturday, but avoided any major damage and is progressing toward a return to the mound soon. He spoke to the media on Tuesday about his recovery and the opportunity to possibly join the Mets’ rotation.

Peterson said his foot feels good and there’s nothing wrong with it. The lefty is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday. Once he and the staff see how it goes, they plan to set when his next start would be and progress him toward that, adjusting his work load as needed depending on his pain level.

Peterson was likely the sixth starter for the Mets entering the spring, and with Quintana going down, this could be his time to step up and make a case for being in the rotation once the season begins in a couple weeks.

Peterson said he’s focused on doing his job. He noted that it’s ultimately up to the coaching staff to make the decisions on who makes the rotation and who pitches where. and that right now he’s focused on continuing  to keep “doing what I’m doing and get ready for each opportunity I’m able to go out there and compete.”

When asked if manager Buck Showalter had a conversation with him or Tylor Megill about being ready should an injury occur, Peterson said it was a known situation, noting that the 2022 Mets didn’t make it out of spring training with five healthy starters either, and that the likelihood of all five making 30+ starts without missing time was “highly unlikely.” Peterson stated it’s his job to always be ready and know what his job is when he gets the call.

“I don’t think it really need to be said. I think we understood where we stand,” stated Peterson. “At some point something is going to happen.” Peterson said. “We saw it last year and it happens every year.” Peterson said.

The Mets’ front office has placed importance on rotation depth this season. Peterson will need to show his value to the rotation in his remaining spring training appearances as they could also go with Megill, or utilize José Butto, Joey Lucchesi, Elieser Hernández to fill in the final spot.

Being a lefty, Peterson could make sense to fill in for Quintana, as he was set to be the only left-handed starter in the Mets rotation. He also showed his value to the team last season, posting a 7-5 record with a  3.83 ERA in 2022. He gave up 93 hits and 45 earned runs across 105.2 innings pitched. He struck out 126.

However, Peterson won’t just be handed the spot, and will need to earn it in the remainder of spring training. Showalter said he wants “the best pitcher available”, and the Mets pitching depth allows them to be in a position to pick from multiple strong candidates to be in the rotation.

In two games pitched so far this spring, Peterson has four strikeouts in four innings.

So far this spring, Megill has thrown in two games as well, and has struck out three in 4.1 innings pitched. In 2022, Megill he was 4-2 with a 5.13 ERA. He gave up 46 hits and 27 earned runs across 47.1 innings pitched to go along with 51 strikeouts. Megill missed significant time due to multiple injuries and was shifted to the bullpen late in the season.

Because of his impressive 2022 and the fact that he can make for a lefty-for-lefty switch, it seems likely that Peterson could be the one to step into the rotation should Quintana be out for a prolonged period. But the time is now for Peterson to get back on the mound and earn his spot.