Staying healthy has always been an obstacle in Jenrry Mejia’s pursuit of a starting job in the New York Mets’ rotation and it is that way again.
Mejia, who underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, should be ready for spring training but staying healthy isn’t always a given with the talented righthander.
If he is ready, he could be be the fourth starter slotted in after Zack Wheeler, Dillon Gee and Jon Niese.
Sandy Alderson said that Mejia will compete for a spot in the rotation but remains cautious given health concerns.
“He demonstrated he could pitch effectively as a major-league starter,’’ Alderson said. “It’s a question of can he stay healthy.”
“He won’t even be able to demonstrate that over the course of spring training or even the first month of the season.’’
The 24-year-old Mejia made five starts with an ERA of 2.30 before needing surgery.
