Per the beat writers, the Mets have placed Scott Atchison on the disabled list.   Atchison has inflammation from bone spurs that are aggravating the nerve in his elbow.  He’ll take anti-inflammatories, and will not be able to throw for a week.  According to Mets assistant GM John Ricco, there is no new structural damage to Atchison’s elbow (he’s been pitching with a torn UCL since opting to not have Tommy John surgery).

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Collin McHugh has been summoned from AAA Las Vegas to St. Louis.  Whether McHugh is activated is contingent upon whether Scott Atchison is placed on the disabled list.

Sep 10, 2012; Flushing, NY,USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Collin McHugh (36) pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Atchison, 37, reported both tenderness in his pitching elbow and numbness in his fingers after last night’s game.  He was to be evaluated today.  Atchison missed time while with the Red Sox last year and has been pitching with a partially torn UCL.  That he may land on the shelf is no surprise, especially when you take into account the fact that he’s been overused.

McHugh, 25, has been solid in eight starts for AAA Las Vegas.  In 49.1 innings pitched, McHugh has given up 53 hits and walked 9 batters while pitching to an ERA of 2.74.  In 21.1 innings with the Mets last season, McHugh had an ERA of 7.59.

If Atchison lands on the disabled list, it’s likely that McHugh’s role in the pen will be that of the long man.  His stuff won’t play up in a late inning or one batter assignment role, so asking him to be someone who can eat up innings is probably the best route to take.

As Adam Rubin of ESPN recently pointed out, though, McHugh tossed seven innings Sunday night.  According to Rubin, that would limit McHugh to just one inning tonight if he were to be activated.

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Apr 13, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Bobby Parnell (39) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Mets won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Parnell: Parnell has been solid, converting 3 of 5 save opportunities (the two blown saves were due to shoddy defense). Bobby has pitched 13 innings, allowing 6 hits and 2 walks for a WHIP of 0.62. He seems to have settled nicely into the closer’s role. He also has made it clear that he wants the ball often, a sign of confidence that Bobby had not demonstrated in recent years.

Scott Atchison: Atchison has pitched 14.2 innings, allowing 11 hits and 6 walks for a WHIP of 1.16. Atchison has been credited with 4 holds, and has given the Mets a credible 8th inning option. His recent history of arm trouble has limited his utility on consecutive days, but his veteran presence has served him and his teammates well.

Brandon Lyon: Lyon has been disappointing so far, throwing 12.1 innings, allowing 12 hits and 2 walks for a WHIP of 1.14. His numbers don’t reflect some unfortunately timed bad outings, such as last Friday against Atlanta. Lyon was brought in to be the 8th inning guy, and a potential closer to spell Parnell. He has not earned the latter opportunity.

Scott Rice: Rice has been effective, after his well-known 14-year minor league sojourn. Rice has tossed 15 innings, surrendering 10 hits, but walking an alarming 8, for a WHIP of 1.20. Rice has shown to be very durable, and tough on lefties. So far, Rice has been a fine pickup by Alderson. Rice will need to walk fewer batters to increase his effectiveness.

LaTroy Hawkins: The 40-year-old Hawkins has, along with Atchison, given the ‘pen a veteran influence. Hawkins has pitched 13 innings, allowing 16 hits and no walks for a WHIP of 1.23. Though Hawkins has given up more hits than innings pitched, he seems to spread them out effectively, having been charged with only 4 earned runs, for a 2.77 ERA.

Jeurys Familia: He may be the Mets diamond in the rough. The former starter is a converted reliever, after the Mets saw his live fastball and sharp slider. Unlike what the organization did with Jenrry Mejia, who has gone back and forth from starting to relieving, Familia is being allowed to develop into his relief role. His save on Friday night, with the knee-buckling slider that caught Dan Uggla looking to end the game, caught the attention of many Mets fans, who saw what Familia can do. Jeurys is still a work-in-progress, as shown by his numbers. He’s pitched 9.1 innings, letting up 9 hits, and a troubling 6 walks for a WHIP of 1.61. But Familia is young and talented, and can either be a piece of the future or a valuable trading chip.

Robert Carson: Carson was called up in late April to replace the struggling Josh Edgin. Carson has actually struggled more than Edgin. Robert has pitched 3.2 innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 walks, for an unsightly WHIP of 2.45. Carson is a curious case, since he throws hard (92-94) and has a good breaking ball. At a minimum, Carson should be tough on lefties, but he has not been. Left handed hitters are batitng .300 off of Carson.

Is the Mets’ bullpen great? No, it isn’t. But the eclectic collection of veterans and young pitchers may be beginning to settle in, and are in position to be vastly improved over the 2012 version. As noted above, a key to their success is a factor completely out of their control, more length out of the starters. If the rotation can go deeper into games, allowing Terry Collins to lighten the load for the relievers, the bullpen crew may be able to make a positive contribution to the 2013 New York Mets.

Commentary from Dan Haefeli:

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The Nationals’ 8th has been discussed extensively since yesterday. Werth felt he did the wrong thing by swinging, saying it was on him, and he was not following orders from the dugout. That inning could have gone in many different directions, not all of them dictated by Werth. Scott Atchison, who did not even pitch yesterday, may have played a role in the outcome of the 8th inning, and ultimately the game.

March 01, 2013; Port St Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Scott Atchison (50) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the spring training game at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Rice was clearly struggling, and when there were two Nationals on base with no one out, the game was certainly on the line. The right-handed Werth was coming to the plate, and this was the perfect spot for Scott Atchison. However, Atchison had thrown 11 pitches on Saturday, and with his history of elbow trouble, the Mets have been reluctant to use him on consecutive days. If Atchison did not have an injury history, he may have been called upon to face Werth (LaTroy Hawkins had been used), and Josh Edgin, though struggling in the early season, could have been brought on to face Harper. Edgin had thrown 23 pitches on Saturday, but with today’s off day, he could have been called upon Sunday. This would have set the 9th up for Parnell, if things had turned out in the Mets’ favor. If the pitching choices played out this way, who knows if we would have been celebrating a series win today.

Atchison has been effective out of the Mets’ bullpen, and he’s also brought a veteran presence (along with Hawkins and Brandon Lyon). It will be interesting to see if his history of elbow trouble continues to limit his innings as the weather warms. The Mets need a healthy, effective Atchison. Not every situation will turn out as yesterday’s did.

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