Mets minor-leaguer Matt Allan is expected to pitch this year

Matt Allan, the Mets’ top pitching prospect, is expected to pitch this year after all.

After two elbow surgeries in eight months, Allan likely won’t be ready until near the end of the 2022 season, but the Mets plan to get him minor-league action anyway.

"I do," director of player development Kevin Howard said recently. "I don’t think there’s really any being conservative or not being conservative. We’re going to make sure he’s 100% and then we’re going to progress him back to throwing in games. As of right now, that timeline is going to be this season."

Allan, who will turn 21 in April, had Tommy John surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow last spring. In January, he had an ulnar nerve transposition operation, a common follow-up.

Howard’s sentiment was more firmly stated than Allan’s. The latter said this month that he wants to pitch this year but "the biggest thing in my head is I want to feel good." He emphasized that he is part of the Mets’ future, not the present, so there isn’t a huge rush.

The Mets picked Allan in the third round of the 2019 draft. He appeared in six games that season but hasn’t pitched since — missing 2020 because the minor-league season was canceled by the pandemic, 2021 because of the elbow injury and most of 2022 because of rehab.

More to come

General manager Billy Eppler and the rest of the front office will have more roster-shaping to do when the lockout ends, particularly with the pitching staff.

But asked about the possibility of adding an outfielder, manager Buck Showalter recently acknowledged that "is something we’ve talked about. It’s an area that we’re examining. Those are one of the many things that Billy is examining. And I believe he’s going to be on top of it."

The Mets remade their outfield in November, adding Starling Marte and Mark Canha to Brandon Nimmo. All are expected to play every day, though their defensive alignment is to be announced.

There isn’t an obvious backup choice. The other outfielders on the 40-man roster are Nick Plummer, who has never played in the majors but joined the Mets on a major-league contract in November, and Khalil Lee, who struggled in his debut last year but played well at Triple-A. Dominic Smith and Jeff McNeil also have played the outfield.

Getting defensive

The Mets plan to have third-base prospects Brett Baty and Mark Vientos play the outfield once per week this season. Vientos also will get time at first base.

Shortstop Ronny Mauricio might play some second or third base, but the Mets don’t have as solidified a plan there. They figure a switch to another infield position should be relatively easy for Mauricio, whereas Baty and Vientos would benefit from more formal training in their new part of the field.

Homes game

Showalter said he has had trouble finding a house in the tri-state area — "Seller’s market," he lamented repeatedly — but will show up wherever his wife, Angela, tells him to.

"That’s why I’ve been married for 38 years," he said.

The housing talk led to a story from his 1992-95 run as Yankees manager, when he always rented. At the end of one season, George Steinbrenner, thinking Showalter owned, asked him what he would do with his house.

"I said, ‘Anybody who works for you rents,’ " Showalter said. "We all rented. And I’m talking day-to-day, week-to-week."

Familiar faces

David Wright plans to make an appearance at spring training, whenever that happens, as a guest instructor. He is no longer under contract with the organization and doesn’t have a formal role/title. Showalter said the Mets hope to have a bunch of former players make similar cameos.

Tim Teufel, a member of the 1986 Mets who still is with the club as a minor-league infield instructor, plans to participate in Old-Timers’ Day on Aug. 27.