QUEENS, NY — David Peterson is returning to the New York Mets’ starting rotation with the 2024 season on the line.
The southpaw will get the ball for Game 5 of the NLCS on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Mets facing elimination after their 10-2 loss on Thursday night at Citi Field.
“Facing an elimination game, he’s fully rested and has been one of our best starters,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We just feel like he’s going to give us the best chance.”
This will be the 29-year-old’s first career postseason start after he was moved to the bullpen following a brilliant breakout campaign as a starter. He went 10-3 with a 2.90 ERA to finally suggest that he can regularly contribute to the rotation. Peterson was 18-21 with a 4.51 ERA over his first four MLB seasons.
He carried the momentum from the regular season into the playoffs, where he was one of the Mets’ most invaluable arms out of the bullpen. He picked up his first career save by clinching Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers with a game-ending double play. He then matched zeroes with Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler for three innings in Game 1 of the NLDS — which the Mets came back to win 6-2.
Across 8.2 postseason innings this October, he has a 2.08 ERA.
“I feel ready to go as deep as necessary,” Peterson said. “It’s just another game. I get the chance to take the ball tomorrow and start. We can only take care of tomorrow.”
He gets the start over ace Kodai Senga, whom the Mets attempted to build up in the postseason after pitching just 5.1 innings during the regular season. A shoulder injury held the 31-year-old right-hander out until late July before he suffered a calf injury in his season debut.
Instead, he will be available out of the bullpen — an ace in the hole of sorts with the Mets in full desperation mode.
Senga allowed one run in two innings in Game 1 of the NLDS with three strikeouts while working under a 30-pitch limit. In hopes of getting him to three innings in Game 1 of the NLCS in Los Angeles, he lasted just 1.1 innings, surrendering three runs on two hits and four walks.
The Dodgers’ lineup will be Peterson’s toughest test yet. They have scored 30 runs in the first four games of the NLCS against the Mets while drawing 31 walks.
“I have to prepare the way I normally prepare for starts,” Peterson said. “Put my gameplan together, and we’ll go out there, compete, and try to win a ballgame… They’re good hitters. They’re big-league hitters. They’re here for a reason.”
