Major League Baseball

New York Mets' Steven Matz and Seth Lugo to Return

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:15 p.m. ET

Fansided, Nick Fustor/FanSided via Call to the Pen

Starting pitchers Steven Matz and Seth Lugo are set to return for the New York Mets, giving the rotation a much needed boost.

The New York Mets are preparing to start Steven Matz and Seth Lugo next weekend in the team's series against the Atlanta Braves, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Despite the relative effectiveness of Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler this season, the Mets rotation has struggled mightily since Noah Syndergaard went down with a partially torn right lat.

Matt Harvey and Robert Gsellman have largely been ineffective, while Tyler Pill has been decent in two major league starts. The Mets pitching staff ranks 29th in baseball with a 4.84 ERA – a far cry from offseason expectations that the team would have the best rotation in baseball.

Neither Matz nor Lugo have pitched for the Mets yet this season, as both have been recovering from elbow injuries. Matz, who impressed early last season before succumbing to elbow issues, is expected to be a key contributor for the Mets rotation. Lugo came out of nowhere and pitched well in eight starts for the Mets last season, and could stabilize the back-end of the rotation if his curveball continues to be effective.

Last season, Matz posted a 3.40 ERA with a 3.39 FIP and 8.77 K/9 to 2.11 BB/9 in just over 130 innings pitched. Lugo managed a 2.67 ERA with a more telling 4.33 FIP, but did manage to control his walk and home run rates.

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In four rehab starts, Matz hasn't shown much consistency – but managed to strike out five without issuing a walk in his final rehab start at Triple-A. Lugo went seven innings while allowing just one run in his final rehab start at Double-A, so it's not entirely clear which of the two starters will get off to a better start.

Given that the Mets already have four capable starters, Matz and Lugo will give the team a dilemma in choosing who heads to the bullpen. Harvey has been inconsistent throughout the season and has an ERA over five, but still has the potential to return to his previous form. It's likely that Gsellman will shift to the bullpen, although he's shown positive steps in his past few starts.

For a Mets team that was expected to depend on its pitching depth, its returning starters will need to show some signs of life if the team hopes to rebound from their dismal start.