Cy Young chase takes a backseat to winning: Rojas

The biggest concern is keeping the Mets’ miniscule postseason chances alive, but Jacob deGrom will also have a National League Cy Young Award race to consider.

DeGrom will return to the mound Monday against the Rays, after he was somewhat knocked around in his previous start, which concluded with him leaving the mound with a right hamstring spasm.

The Mets ace will enter play sixth in the NL with a 2.09 ERA. That number sat at 1.69 last week in Philadelphia before he allowed three earned runs over two innings and then departed with the hammy issue.

Luis Rojas was asked if deGrom’s pursuit of a third straight Cy Young Award will factor into any game decisions.

“The win is our focus,” Rojas said. “Jake has won backto-back Cy Youngs because of the pitcher he is and we’re looking for that pitcher [Monday] that puts us in that spot to win the ballgame. That is how we’re going to make in-game decisions when Jake starts the game.”

➤ Rojas said he considered calling for an intentional walk on Travis d’Arnaud in the eighth inning to load the bases. Jeurys Familia instead pitched to d’Arnaud, who delivered a two-run double that extended the Braves’ lead to 3-0. D’Arnaud finished the season 11-for-24 (.458) against his former team.

“It was something that crossed our minds,” Rojas said. “Maybe if there was a certain count later in the atbat, probably, but we still thought Familia had the stuff to get Travis out as well. He made a good pitch and Travis was able to get to it.”