THE MAX FACTOR

Megill taking lessons from Scherzer to heart as he looks to stay healthy

PORT ST. LUCIE — Tylor Megill’s focus this season will be on health as much as on success against opposing hitters.

To that end, the Mets righthander is following the advice Max Scherzer gave him last season and is resisting the temptation to use maximum effort with every pitch. It’s an approach he hopes will help keep his right shoulder strong.

“Just saving it for big spots and whatnot,” Megill said Wednesday after throwing 20 pitches in live batting practice at Clover Park. “That was a big thing learning from Max last year, just how he works. If he needs it he will come out and show it, but for the most part he is sitting at a manageable percentage. It will let me save my arm.”

Megill, 27, had two stints on the injured list last season. Upon his return in September, he was utilized from the bullpen. Overall, he pitched to a 5.13 ERA in 15 appearances for the Mets, nine of them as a starter. Megill said his relief role at the end of the season was a different experience for him, but it “wasn’t terrible.”

The 2022 season had started much brighter for Megill: He became the team’s Opening Day starter with Jacob deGrom sidelined and Scherzer pushed back in the rotation. He also pitched to a 1.93 ERA over five starts in April. But Megill hit the IL with a lat strain in May, and after two short starts the following month, he was sidelined by a shoulder impingement.

“The season I debuted, 2021, I was throwing the ball really well and threw a lot of good quality starts,” Megill said. “Then the first month of last season I was doing really well and had the injury.”

Now he’s back to trying to figure out where he fits. The Mets already have a full rotation — with Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana and Carlos Carrasco. That leaves Megill as rotation depth — along, primarily with David Peterson — to be stretched out and begin the season at Triple-A Syracuse if the other starters are healthy.

“Just go out and play baseball the way I know,” Megill said. “I can only control so much.”

Corey Sipkin SLOW AND STEADY: Tylor Megill says he is taking Max Scherzer’s advice not to throw with maximum effort on every pitch, saving it for when he really needs it.