Lugo’s pitching draws notice for all the wrong reasons

Seth Lugo’s most recent performance was something of a red flag to the Mets.

The right-hander has been among the team’s most consistent relievers this season, but the manner in which he missed with his pitches Friday — when he surrendered one run in the seventh inning against the Phillies — caught manager Luis Rojas’ attention.

It was a second straight appearance in which Lugo was scored upon (he surrendered two runs against the Cardinals in one inning of work Wednesday).

“The command got him [Friday] and that is atypical to see,” Rojas said before the Mets fell to the Phillies, 5-3, on Saturday. “He’s a guy that has really good command and to be missing arm-side like that, it’s worrisome a little bit ... he’s at a challenging stage this season.”

Lugo had surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow in February and didn’t pitch for the Mets until June. He entered Saturday with a 3.56 ERA in 42 appearances.

“The pitchability is there,” Rojas said. “We are seeing him probably having a tough time recovering from outing to outing, there is a time that he needed two days, but that is normal. He is a guy that came from surgery earlier this year, so I don’t think it’s anything happening to him abnormal right now. It’s just the season playing out at this point for him.”

Noah Syndergaard is scheduled to face hitters in live batting practice on Sunday, after which he will be evaluated for a potential minor league rehab assignment or addition to the Mets roster. Rojas indicated there haven’t been discussions yet on the parameters for Syndergaard’s usage. The righthander, who is under consideration for a bullpen role, has previously said he is limited to throwing fastballs and changeups (no sliders or curveballs) this season as he attempts a return from Tommy

John surgery.

Jacob deGrom threw off the “mid-slope” of the mound on Saturday, according to Rojas. It was the right-hander’s second time throwing from a mound since he was cleared to resume throwing earlier this month. Rojas didn’t provide specifics on when deGrom might begin facing hitters in live batting practice. The Mets ace last pitched on July 7.