51s roster gets jumbled as Mets deal with injuries

In the minor leagues, rosters change at a moment’s notice.

As the oft-injured New York Mets’ Triple-A team, perhaps nobody knows this quite like the 51s.

On Friday afternoon, 51s pitching coach Frank Viola was talking about how Sean Gilmartin and Rafael Montero, both sent down Thursday, would strengthen the team’s starting rotation.

A couple of hours later, the Mets recalled Gilmartin, who never left New York for California, where the 51s are playing. That’s the type of wild week of roster moves it’s been for the Mets and the transactions the 51s have endured.

On Wednesday, Tyler Pill was assigned to Las Vegas from Double A to fill in for Gilmartin, and reliever Logan Taylor was sent to Double-A Binghamton.

That same day, Mets first baseman Lucas Duda (hyperextended left elbow) and catcher Travis d’Arnaud (right wrist contusion) left the team’s game early.

That night, infielder Wilmer Flores was hospitalized because of an infection in his knee.

All three were held out of the starting lineup Thursday, though d’Arnaud did pinch hit.

As a result, the Mets summoned catcher Kevin Plawecki and infielder T.J. Rivera from the 51s to New York.

They wound up activating Plawecki because Rivera, who had been sent to Triple A less than 10 days before, was not eligible for a call-up unless the Mets placed someone on the disabled list.

While Rivera sat in New York on Thursday, the Mets suffered more injuries. Star left fielder Yoenis Cespedes left the game with a hamstring injury. The Mets did get bullpen reinforcements, though, with closer Jeurys Familia’s 15-game domestic violence suspension ending.

For Plawecki and Familia to be added to the roster, the Mets sent Montero and Gilmartin back to Las Vegas and moved third baseman David Wright (shoulder) to the 60-day disabled list.

Montero joined the 51s in Fresno. He is scheduled to start Sunday at Sacramento and probably will throw 70 to 75 after working out of the bullpen for the Mets to begin the season.

In six games with the Mets, Montero was 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA and eight walks in 6 2/3 innings.

“I got a phone call from (Mets pitching coach) Dan Warthen, and he said that he’s been throwing strikes. He’s been getting hurt by 0-2 base hits, so he’s been throwing too many strikes, it sounds like,” Viola said. “I think what we need to do, we are preaching throwing strikes, but sometimes you have to be a little smarter as to your put-away pitch and so on and so forth, so I think we have to work on his put-away pitch going forward.”

While Montero has arrived to slot into the 51s’ rotation, Gilmartin never did.

In the meantime, starter Donovan Hand was sent to Double-A Binghamton, meaning Montero, Adam Wilk, Ricky Knapp, Tyler Pill and Wilfredo Boscan comprise the 51s’ rotation.

Because Plawecki left, Jeff Glenn was activated from the disabled list to serve as the 51s’ backup catcher.

Infielder L.J. Mazzilli also was called up from Binghamton with Rivera gone and infielder/outfielder Matt Reynolds dealing with a tight hamstring.

Still following?

On Friday, Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was held out of the starting lineup because of a hamstring issue.

Mets manager Terry Collins told reporters in New York that Flores would stay in the hospital this weekend to receive an IV for his infection. He was placed on the disabled list, as was Duda, allowing the Mets to call up Rivera and Gilmartin.

To cap it, starting pitcher Jacob deGrom was moved to Saturday with Matt Harvey moved to Friday as deGrom deals with a stiff neck. Collins said Gilmartin would start Saturday if deGrom couldn’t.

All that in three days.

When the 51s return to Cashman Field on Thursday, who knows who they’ll bring with them.

Follow all of our Las Vegas 51s coverage online at reviewjournal.com/51s and @RJ_Sports on Twitter.

Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.