WHEELS UP!

Zack’s back in Mets rotation after missing two full seasons Righty steps in for Matz, who’s headed to DL

Zack Wheeler will make long-awaited return from 2015 Tommy John surgery, while Steven Matz is shut down for at least three weeks.

PORT ST. LUCIE — Zack Wheeler will pitch in his first major league game since September 2014 next Friday, but the Mets now have no idea when lefty Steven Matz will pitch again. Sandy Alderson said that though Matz’s MRI came back “clear,” the lefty will be shut down for three weeks and start the season on the disabled list.

The Mets GM announced the surprising decision to start Wheeler, who is coming back from March 2015 Tommy John surgery, in the Met rotation instead of extended spring training

“It’s been a long trek for him,” Alderson said of Wheeler. “We felt that if he was kind of on an uptick physically, emotionally and mentally, it would be a real positive for him to begin the season (in the majors), and not just be relegated to Port St. Lucie again.

“He’s feeling good. We feel good about it. Thought we’d get him right out of the gate.”

Alderson also announced Robert Gsellman is the Mets’ fifth starter and that Seth Lugo would be a possibility, along with Rafael Montero, for the longman spot out of the bullpen.

Dan Warthen said it was not an easy decision, but it came down to experience.

“Very difficult,” the Mets pitching coach said. “With Matz not being able to pitch, made it an easier way to go. Lugo has had more experience in the bullpen. Seemed the right way to go.”

Wheeler will start the fourth game of the season, the series opener against the Marlins at Citi Field.

“The road I have been down, I have been out of the game for two years. I am just happy to be healthy and back and pitching at the big level,” said Wheeler, who was so caught off guard by the decision he did not make living arrangements in the city yet.

Gsellman will not pitch until April 9. An off day on Tuesday will allow Noah Syndergaard — the Opening Day starter — to pitch his second start of the season on regular rest.

“It feels amazing to break with the team,” said Gsellman, who started in the minors last spring. “It’s a great group of guys here. It will be fun to watch them and get those W’s.”

Lugo had not been told what the Mets’ plans were for him before he headed up to New York.

“We’re going to take both Lugo and Montero with us to New York,” Alderson said. “We’ll make a final decision on that by Sunday.”

One will go to Las Vegas to remain stretched out and the other will be the long-man.

The Mets will also be able to use Gsellman out of the bullpen the first two or three games. That bullpen is already being tested with the suspension of closer Jeurys Familia for 15 games. While Alderson would not address Familia’s 15-game suspension under MLB’s domestic violence policy, he did say that the Mets are prepared to start the season without him.

“I think we have the depth that we need and a couple of guys are going to have to step up in slightly different roles. Hansel Robles has pitched really well this spring, both in the (World Baseball Classic) and with us. Looks like he’s taken a step forward,” Alderson said. “(Josh) Smoker’s done a nice job. Josh Edgin has been good.

“So I think we’re reasonably comfortable. I’d like to have Jeurys out there, but that won’t be the case for a couple of weeks.”

And the Mets have no idea how long they will be without Matz. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection in the elbow Wednesday, Alderson said, and won’t be able to start throwing until the last week in April.

“I don’t know if I have the words for it,” Terry Collins said of his disappointment over the Matz situation. “We have talked about this rotation, that if you can keep them healthy, is second to none from start to finish. Everybody has one or two or three guys. We have five guys with legitimate No. 1, No. 2 kind of stuff.

“So I am very disappointed that his arm flared up on him,” Collins said of the lefty. “Especially at the end of camp, when we worked so hard to get them to the end of camp healthy. It’s real disappointing.”