PHILADELPHIA — In an attempt to shake things up and bring in some fresh arms, the Mets made some creative roster moves Wednesday, optioning right-hander Jose Butto to Triple-A Syracuse and designating right-handed reliever Yohan Ramirez and utility infielder Joey Wendle for assignment. They called up left-hander Joey Lucchesi from Triple-A Syracuse to take Adrian Houser’s start Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, as well as called up right-handed reliever Grant Hartwig to replace Ramirez and third baseman Mark Vientos to replace Wendle.
More moves will be made soon with right-handed starter Tylor Megill set to return to the rotation Sunday or Monday. Megill is in Philadelphia with the Mets, but has not yet been activated.
“We still have to finalize whether it’s going to be Sunday or Monday,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. “But that will be the plan, Megill will take a turn on the rotation.”
Megill has been out since the first series of the season with a right shoulder strain. He’s made five rehab starts and is ready to be activated from the 15-day injured list, but having just made a start with Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday, he wasn’t available to make one Wednesday.
The Mets scratched Houser after he warmed up in the bullpen Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies at home. Sean Reid-Foley was approaching his pitch count in the ninth inning of a loss and the Mets had no other arms available. Houser threw two innings out of the bullpen Wednesday, giving up three runs (one earned).
The Mets started a three-city eight-game road trip Wednesday in Philadelphia. They’ll continue with a three-game series against the Marlins in Miami this weekend before finishing the trip with three against the Cleveland Guardians.
Right-handed reliever Drew Smith suffered a setback Tuesday after playing catch. He was set to return Wednesday but complained of pain in the back of his shoulder shortly before Tuesday’s game. However, the Mets don’t think it will be a serious setback. The shoulder injury that landed him on the IL was in the front of his shoulder, so it may not be related.
Smith will resume playing catch Thursday. No imaging is currently scheduled.
“We don’t anticipate this being a long setback,” Mendoza said. “We’ll see where we are because after he pitched (in a rehab assignment) he said that he was feeling fine, but yesterday after he went out there and played catch, he said something about the back of his shoulder.”
Left-hander Brooks Raley underwent another MRI and got another opinion on his injured elbow Tuesday in Texas. The results showed a UCL strain. However, the imaging showed signs of healing, so he may be able to avoid surgery.
The Mets will continue to treat the injury for two weeks. At that point, Raley will be reassessed again and the doctors will determine whether or not he can begin a throwing program. The lefty previously had a cortisone shot to help with inflammation, but there are no plans for another injection at the moment.
