The Mets have settled on a pitching rotation, manager Terry Collins said Thursday, with Zack Wheeler and Robert Gsellman filling in the final two slots and left-hander Steven Matz beginning the season on the disabled list.
Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey remain at the top of the rotation.
Collins said an MRI on Matz's sore elbow came back negative. The left-hander had a platelet rich plasma injection and will be shut down for three weeks before starting a throwing program.
The right-handed Wheeler hasn't pitched in the major leagues in more than two years since having Tommy John surgery in March 2015. But he remained healthy throughout spring training, which has been his biggest hurdle, and he's been throwing his fastball in the mid-90 range with an effective curveball.
Can't wait to be back here pitching in front of the best fans #LGM pic.twitter.com/XbPOxeps6M
— Zack Wheeler (@Wheelerpro45) March 30, 2017
Wheeler will likely have an innings limit, Mets assistant GM John Ricco said Wednesday, but the team does not know exactly what that number will be.
