Mets demote promising starter Jose Butto after wild stretch

PHILADELPHIA — Included in a flurry of roster moves that became official Wednesday was the Mets optioning Jose Butto to Triple-A Syracuse.

Tylor Megill, who has made four rehab starts and most recently threw 5 ¹/₃ scoreless innings with Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday, is expected to take Butto’s spot for at least a turn, Mendoza said, likely either Sunday in Miami or Monday in Cleveland.

The Mets do not have an off day for a week, so inserting Megill will allow each remaining starter to pitch on five days rest.

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Butto had generally pitched well — but wildly of late — in seven starts since being summoned early last month and held a 3.08 ERA.

But the righty lasted just five innings apiece in his past two outings largely because he walked seven in the span.

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“It seemed every outing there was one inning where he kind of lost the strike zone, but he kept competing and kept making pitches and every outing gave us a chance,” Mendoza said of Butto, whom he told, “You’re going to be back.”

Butto was the victim of a pitching crunch. Joey Lucchesi officially was recalled to start Wednesday, when he allowed five runs in 4 ¹/₃ innings .

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The Mets added insurance for Lucchesi by calling up Grant Hartwig, who entered in the fifth and allowed two runs (one earned) in 1 ²/₃ innings.

As previously reported, the Mets also designated infielder Joey Wendle and reliever Yohan Ramirez for assignment while calling up Mark Vientos.

Mendoza called the Wendle decision “a tough one.”

“Not an easy one because of who he is, as a player and as a person. Such a professional,” Mendoza said. “Obviously, things didn’t go the way we were expecting and he was expecting. He didn’t get many opportunities, but he understood it’s a business.”

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