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PORT ST. LUCIE — Tylor Megill looks much thinner than last season but insists he’s lost only a few pounds.
“That’s what everyone is saying, that I look skinnier, but I haven’t lost weight,” Megill said. “Maybe like five pounds. That’s about it. I guess I just leaned out.”
If there is a ritual of spring in Mets camp, it’s Megill arriving without a guaranteed roster spot, as rotation depth.
More often than not, an injury to another starting pitcher has allowed Megill to break camp with the team.
This spring, he sits behind Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Griffin Canning in the apparent pecking order of a six-man rotation.
Megill, who has a minor league option remaining, is taking the approach that even if he isn’t with the team to begin the season, there should be plenty of opportunities for him.
“I am used to it, but it’s not something I want to be doing,” Megill said of bouncing between Triple-A Syracuse and the Mets. “I want to be starting every five days or six days in the big leagues, not the minor leagues. Obviously, in ways, it sucks being in Triple-A, but at the same time, you can’t be down about it, can’t pout about it. You still have to go about your business and work, stay positive and help others around you. It’s about you and your career, but at the same time, too, it’s about trying to help others get better.”
Megill last season pitched to a 4.04 ERA in 16 appearances (15 of which were starts) for the Mets.
His best work occurred over his final six starts for the team, after returning from Syracuse in August.
Over that stretch, he pitched to a 2.32 ERA.
“I threw a lot of strikes and started going deeper into games, which is good,” Megill said. “It’s always been my goal to go as deep as possible and try to figure that out at Triple-A. Obviously, it translated when I got back. The pitch count was way lower. Finishing up the fifth and then being able to go into the sixth and finish the sixth inning. That has always been my problem, the fifth and sixth innings. When I came back, the fifth and sixth innings were completely different.”
On Friday, he threw two innings of live batting practice and allowed a homer to Brett Baty.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said he’s already spoken with Megill about the possibility he will begin the season with Syracuse.
“He is competing — that is what we told him,” Mendoza said. “Make sure you get ready, and we’ll see what happens. He is going to make a lot of starts for us.”
