Mets manager Terry Collins said during his weekly radio spot on WFAN the Mets might have to consider promoting top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler if their rotation problems past Jonathon Niese and Matt Harvey continue, per the New York Daily News.
The Mets' starting rotation has a 4.18 ERA.
"If this continues, we’ve gotta start visiting that pretty soon," Collins said.
General manager Sandy Alderson hasn't ruled out promoting Wheeler, but he said the decision would not be made based on the struggles of Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner and Aaron Laffey.
"It was always a case that it would be Zack’s sufficiency and the major-league team’s need," Alderson said. "If those two things merge, the need and the performance converge, then it is a possibility. That could happen sooner or it could happen later."
Wheeler is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA through three starts for Triple-A Las Vegas. He has totaled 17 strikeouts in 14 innings, including eight in his last start Sunday.
"We are looking for excellency from him and consistency," Alderson said. "The last start was a good one. We want to see how he does in his next one and over the next several starts."