With a doubleheader on deck on Monday, the New York Mets turned to minor league starting pitcher P.J. Conlon for a spot start against the Atlanta Braves. Conlon made one start for the Mets previously this season, which was OK at best, but this one was far from good. Across only two innings pitched, Conlon allowed four earned runs on eight hits. He did not issue any walks and struck out one. It was not the outing the Mets were looking for, but they still won the game 8-5. Conlon will quickly be sent back to Triple-A Las Vegas, where hell look to improve on his horrendous 6.58 ERA there this year. Hes not worth a stash in any format.
As expected, New York Mets starting pitcher P.J. Conlons tenure in the starting rotation was of the one-and-done variety, at least for now. On Tuesday, the team optioned Conlon back to Triple-A Las Vegas while recalling reliever Corey Oswalt in a corresponding transaction. Conlon pitched well in his Major League debut on Monday but stood virtually no chance to stick around at this point with Jacob deGrom (elbow) set to make his return to the rotation in a few days. There is a solid degree of probability Conlon will see more starts in Queens throughout the year, though. Hes the teams top option in Triple-A, and former starting pitchers/current reliever Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo have for the most part blossomed in their new bullpen roles. If Conlon is recalled, he could be worth a spot start depending on the matchup.
New York Mets starting pitcher P.J. Conlons MLB debut should be considered a success overall, if not a short one. In his first career start on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds, Conlon threw 3 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout. The line doesnt look great, but he pitched a lot better than what the numbers show. Conlon isnt a hard thrower but throws a ton of strikes and kept the Reds off base with a nice variety of speed and movement prior to being removed due to a jammed thumb in the fourth inning. This will likely be Conlons lone start with Jacob deGrom (elbow) set to return shortly, but hes a guy that could come into back-end fantasy value down the line due to his efficient style of play.
With New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom hitting the disabled list after all, the team is turning to 24-year-old P.J. Conlon to open the teams series against the Reds in Cincinnati. Conlon had a lot of success in 2017 for Double-A Binghamton with a 3.38 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 108 strikeouts against 38 walks, but has struggled in 2018 in the hitter-friendly PCL with a 6.75 ERA, 1.58 WHIP for Triple-A Las Vegas. Nonetheless, Conlon has found a nice groove throughout his minor league tenure, so hes at least worth a look in his MLB debut on Monday. In perhaps a nice bit of trivia, Conlon will be the first Irish-born big leaguer since 1945.
