PORT ST. LUCIE — Christian Scott was the organization’s top pitching prospect when he made his MLB debut for the Mets in May 2024.
Less than three months later, he underwent Tommy John surgery.
And A.J. Minter was supposed to be a key piece of the Mets bullpen last season after signing a two-year, $22 million deal, but he made just 13 appearances before a lat injury led to season-ending surgery.
Both were back on the mound Wednesday, Scott in a 5-2 win over Team Israel at Clover Park and Minter in a minor league game on a back field.
And the results were encouraging, as Scott hit 96 mph in his 2 ²/₃ scoreless innings, walked none and struck out five in a performance the right-hander had envisioned “for a long time,” he said.
“Probably 18 months,” Scott said. “As soon as I got the surgery, I knew this was on the horizon. It was just about being consistent, keeping up day-to-day. I was thinking of this day for a long time.”
Regardless of how Scott does this spring, it seems likely he’ll open the season with Triple-A Syracuse, since the Mets don’t have any room in the rotation.
Still, Carlos Mendoza called the 48-pitch outing “pretty impressive.”
“It’s been a long road for him and it hasn’t been easy,’’ the manager said. “To go through the rehab process after he had a taste of [the majors] in 2024, when he was really good for us.”
Scott’s command stood out, in particular.
“He attacked,’’ Mendoza said. “One thing from him, he’s not gonna back down.”
Neither is Minter, whom the Mets believe can be an integral part of their new-look relief corps.
“The first one is always the hardest,’’ the lefty said of his return to the mound. “It was good to get back out there and I was happy with the results.”
Mendoza said before Minter’s outing that he could be back in late April or sometime in May.
“This is a guy that’s used to pitching high-leverage,’’ the manager said. “We saw it last year before he went down. With teams nowadays playing the matchups, you want a left-handed pitcher that can get righties and lefties [out].”
As for the rest of the bullpen, Mendoza said with Minter out, it’s not essential that the team carry two lefty relievers, thanks to the presence of newcomers Luke Weaver and Devin Williams.
“We’ve got guys that are platoon-neutral,’’ Mendoza said. “We’re gonna take what we feel is our best guys north with us.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
