Mets sending pitcher Megill to Triple-a

PHILADELPHIA — Tylor Megill and the Mets have struggled all season to find answers to why he has taken a step back since 2022. Opportunities to make adjustments are few and far between at the Major League level, so the Mets have sent the struggling right-hander to Triple-a Syracuse in order to give him a chance to figure some things out and attempt to find better form.

Megill was optioned Thursday night and the Mets called up right-hander Vinny Nittoli to take his spot on the roster Friday, ahead of a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Nittoli was already on the 40-man roster after being acquired in a trade by the Chicago Cubs for future considerations.

“It’s just a chance for him to get back to what he’s capable of,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said Friday at Citizens Bank Park while waiting on word of whether or not the two teams would play through the rain. “He’ll be the first to tell you that it wasn’t what he could potentially bring. We’ve seen it. So it was a tough conversation yesterday, and today since he came in here and did some work.”

Megill is 6-4 with a 5.17 ERA and a 5.09 FIP in 15 starts this season. The 27-year-old came into camp having lost weight over the winter but he also lost a few ticks on his velocity. In past seasons, Megill could throw his fastball around 97 MPH, but this season he has been down in the 94-95 range. However, command has been his biggest issue, particularly fastball command. Megill is walking nearly five batters per nine innings (4.92), up from 2.47 last season and striking out fewer hitters as well.

The velocity and the command started to diminish last season when he struggled through injuries. He missed nearly a month with biceps tendinitis and later missed a significant part of the season with a shoulder strain. He pitched in only six games in the second half of last season, all of them out of the bullpen.

“He’s shown that he can pitch not throwing every pitch 97-98. It’s the command that’s been the issue,” Showalter said. “The walks from 0-2 to 3-2, that’s what we talked about. He brought it up before I even had a chance to and said that’s the thing that’s been the most frustrating is the command.”

Megill lamented his command Wednesday in Houston after allowing four earned in 2 ⅔ innings to the Astros.

“I think all my off-speed stuff is playing really well right now, it’s just more so getting ahead with the heater,” Megill said. “Making mechanical changes during the season, I just need reps. It’s harder to get reps in between starts because I’m trying to recover my arm and not trying to throw as much. I just need to go and trust it and fill up the zone.”

The Mets are hoping he gets the reps he needs in Triple-a.