EVEN LUGO CAN’T GET A BREAK

PHOENIX — There was a point this spring when Seth Lugo had to go and ask to be put in the bullpen. Pitching with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, Lugo had been targeted as the possible sixth starter to be stashed in Triple-A in case of an emergency. The Mets were concerned about the stress on his elbow if he were in the bullpen. Lugo had to reassure them he would be fine and convince them to use him in the bullpen.

Now, the Mets don't want to take him out of there because he is proving to be one of their most effective starters, even after giving up five runs Friday night in the Mets 7-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.

For now, with Noah Syndergaard nursing a strained ligament in his right index finger and not even throwing, Lugo must remain as a starter. Once Syndergaard returns, however, the Mets will face a tough decision.

“I've seen benefits to both. He could pitch in either situation right now with Syndergaard out that there's a necessity for him to start, not sure that's always going to be the case,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said before Friday night's game. “We have to continue to evaluate every day what makes this the best team possible.”

It's hard to argue with Lugo's effectiveness as a starter.

He went into Friday night's game having tossed 10.0 scoreless innings without issuing a walk and struck out 11 batters in his two previous starts vs. the Cubs and Yankees. In Lugo's last four starts, he's 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA with 22 strikeouts and no walks.

The bottom line is the Mets are 18-10 in Lugo's 28 career starts and they are desperate for wins. So, it's hard to put up a strong argument that he doesn't deserve to be in the rotation.

But, Callaway said the decision will likely come down to the Mets other “personnel.”

And maybe there is more to think about than a simple swap when Syndergaard is healthy enough to return.

Jason Vargas was signed to be the Mets' fifth starter, a guy who would give them five innings every five days.

With Jerry Blevins as the Mets' only left-handed option in a completely ineffective bullpen right now, perhaps leaving Lugo in the rotation and adding Vargas, a lefty, to the pen would be a better option.

That being said, Vargas has not pitched out of the bullpen since 2009 and it would be a difficult transition back for a 35-year old.

But it might be easier than having to rely on Blevins the rest of the year.

Left-handed hitters are now 13-for-39 (.333) against Blevins, who has held lefties to a .216 batting average over his career.

Blevins, who is getting paid $6.5 million this year to get out lefties, had a rare moment of success Friday, getting lighthitting Diamondbacks' catcher Alex Avila out in the seventh inning.

Avila is hitting .113 this season, but when facing better lefthanded hitters Blevins has been ineffective.

Brought in to face Freddie Freeman on Wednesday, Blevins gave up a home run.

Thursday night, he came in to face left-handed hitting pinchhitter Daniel Descalso and lefty outfielder Jon Jay. He hit Jay and gave up a single to Descalso on a curveball, which used to be his most effective pitch.

“It's just a noncompetitively pitch,” one talent evaluator who watched both games said. “They are just looping in there and hitters are just hitting them hard.”

Mets GM Sandy Alderson built the bullpen this winter around closer Jeurys Familia, set-up man AJ Ramos, and Blevins. That foundation has faltered. Familia and Ramos are on the disabled list, with Ramos facing possible season-ending surgery.

And Blevins has just been ineffective.

The Mets have already demoted Blevins from the backend of the bullpen, using him mostly in lower-leverage situations to try and get him back on track. It hasn't worked yet and it's part of the reason the Mets bullpen is crumbling.

In their last 19 games, the pen is 1-10 with a 6.82 ERA, having allowed 49 earned runs over 64.2 innings pitched.

So the Mets will face a tough decision when Syndergaard is healthy and ready to return, but maybe they have another option that could help the bullpen.

Lugo has proven he deserves to be in the rotation, but ultimately he may be too valuable to take out of the bullpen.