The road for Dillon Gee has undoubtedly taken far more twists and turns in 2015 than anyone could have ever anticipated.
He’s gone from trade bait to minor league. He went from being in the bullpen in camp, to back in the rotation once Zack Wheeler was lost for the season, then was threatened by Rafael Montero for his job in the rotation, again.
He pitched well enough as part of the Mets rotation before straining his groin ahead of a start in Chicago in early May, promoting the club to promote Noah Syndergaard from Triple-A Las Vegas.
He was then inserted into the rotation as the team’s sixth starter in early June once he returned after, “wasting bullets” during the latter portion of his rehab assignment, which was designed to buy the Mets time in their endeavor to lengthen the rotation.
Shortly after that experiment with the six-man rotation failed, the club moved Gee to the bullpen before designating him for assignment. They later outrighted him to Triple-A Las Vegas, making him a full-fledged minor leaguer under the watchful eyes of Wally Backman and pitching coach Frank Viola.
And that was all before June was over.
It hasn’t been easy for Gee as a minor leaguer, either. He had a 6.35 ERA through his first four starts with Triple-A Las Vegas, averaging only 5 2/3 innings per start while allowing 55 base runners in only 34 innings. It was not looking good for him to return to the Mets this season.
But the last two starts have been far more encouraging for the 29-year-old veteran right-hander,as he’s tossed two consecutive complete games for the 51s while allowing only four runs on three walks and 17 hits.
Could Gee be on the road back to the Mets?
Keep in mind, the Mets are going to have to consider using a spot starter at least once, if not two or three times during the month of August, as the innings limits for their young starters is quickly approaching with 56 games remaining on the schedule. If Gee has righted his ship, the Mets could bring him here to spot start each of the three young arms in the rotation through the end of the month and into early September.
The Mets might also consider using Gee when rosters expand in September if there’s ineffectiveness from one of the starters, and as a long reliever out of the bullpen as well.
Of course, like last time, Gee has to be both comfortable and effective for these spot starts to have any meaning. Now that the Mets are in a pennant race, the Mets cannot afford the slightest bit of ineffectiveness from Gee, or anyone else in the rotation for that matter.
But Gee wants to be a part of what’s going on in New York right now. Perhaps a pennant race would get him in the right mindset and his focus in the right areas, something he admitted during his tumultuous times earlier this season was a problem for him.
They’d have to accommodate him on the 40-man roster, but if he shows he is beyond his troubles, the Mets could surely use Gee in a variety of roles down the stretch of the season.
Just Mets 