Reports: Mets to call up Brandon Sproat for Sunday start
Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat pitches during a spring training workout last February. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
It appears the Mets again will rely on an unproven rookie to stabilize their rotation, and will do so in what could be one of their biggest series of the year.
Hard-throwing righthander Brandon Sproat will be called up to start against the Reds on Sunday, according to published reports; Newsday did not independently confirm the move.
Sproat will join Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong as the latest young prospects to make their debuts in a pivotal stretch run for a team that entered Thursday in the third and final wild-card spot. The Giants trail them by four games and the Reds, who will face the Mets (75-65) in a three-game set this weekend, are five games out.
Sproat, 24 and the organization’s No. 5 prospect, was 8-6 with Triple-A Syracuse this year, pitching to a 4.24 ERA. He’s had more success of late, going 5-1 with a 2.44 ERA in 11 games since June 28. He struck out 70 batters in 59 innings during that span and held opponents to a .163 batting average.
Though Sproat’s addition to the 40-man roster misses the Aug. 31 cutoff to appear on the team’s playoff roster, exceptions can be made in case of injury.
Sproat has a fastball that can reach triple digits as well as a plus-changeup with plenty of movement, according to Baseball America. He complements those with a sinker and sweeper that he primarily throws to righties, as well as a big, looping curveball.
Though he can rack up strikeouts, Sproat has struggled with control. He’s averaged 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.9 walks per nine this season.
The Mets’ rotation, often battered and ineffective, seemingly has forced president of baseball operations David Stearns’ hand, leading to this slew of aggressive call-ups. They lost Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning to season-ending injuries and have withstood a number of rocky starts from Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea.
Senga’s last outing, a clunker in which he gave up five earned runs in 4 2⁄3 innings, had manager Carlos Mendoza openly uncertain about whether he’d take his next turn in the rotation. Mendoza also said the team was considering sending him to the minors, though Senga would have to approve the demotion.
“Everything’s on the table,” Mendoza said. “Whether he makes a next start — there’s a lot going on right now.”
The Mets’ only reliable starters have been All-Star David Peterson, who was charged with eight runs in two innings-plus against the Marlins last week, and Clay Holmes, who’s far exceeded his career high in innings pitched.
The two previous call-ups have impressed. McLean has won all four of his starts, pitching to a 1.37 ERA in 26 1⁄3 innings. Tong, set to pitch Saturday, debuted last Friday with five innings against the Marlins, allowing four runs (one earned), six hits and no walks with six strikeouts.
Newsday’s Anthony Rieber contributed to this story.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
