CINCINNATI — And then there was one lefty in the Mets’ bullpen.
In need of a roster spot because of Max Scherzer’s return from the injured list, the Mets designated for assignment reliever Chasen Shreve, who had struggled over the past two months after a solid stretch to start the season.
Shreve’s departure left Joely Rodriguez as the remaining left-hander in the bullpen, but manager Buck Showalter said he doesn’t expect that to change his late-inning strategy — Shreve and Rodriguez were seldom used in the same game.
Rodriguez pitched one inning Tuesday night, striking out two in a 1-2-3 frame, in the Mets’ 1-0 loss to the Reds.
“If we had been getting a little better production maybe out of that second spot,” Showalter said when asked if his bullpen strategy will be affected. “It’s kind of the way we have been doing it for a little while now. Maybe [it will be affected] a little bit, but I hope not.”
Shreve, who arrived on a minor league contract in spring training, was 1-1 with a 6.49 ERA in 25 appearances for the Mets.
Left-handed relief figures to be a high priority for the Mets heading toward the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
Chris Bassitt is “doing well,” according to Showalter, but remains sidelined because of COVID-19 protocols.
“We haven’t gotten to the point where he’s been cleared completely yet,” Showalter said.
David Peterson (who is returning from the paternity list) and Trevor Williams are the Mets’ scheduled starting pitchers for their games Wednesday and Thursday. The Mets will have to create roster space for Peterson and Bassitt once they return.
The Mets reached the midway point of their season Tuesday. They are 50-31, putting them on a pace to reach the 100-win plateau.
“I think our guys have a real maturity about the length of the season and not get into that ‘sky is falling’ or ‘you’re the best,’ ” Showalter said. “There’s a lot of outside factors that make you think you are worse than you are and make you think you are better than you are. We stay pretty level-headed.”
The Mets were shut out, ending their streak of multiple homers in three straight games, their longest such stretch of the season.
