Jose Butto has become a valuable weapon for the Mets in a multi-inning bullpen role, and while Carlos Mendoza has given himself some leeway, it sounds like he will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
“We’re open to anything,” Mendoza said of the possibility of using Butto as a shorter-term reliever, but added, “There are times when we need his innings.”
That may frustrate some fans who want to see Butto on the mound more often, but Mendoza believes he is too valuable when it comes to providing length, even if it is the occasional losing cause.
The manager pointed to Butto’s two-inning performance last Tuesday against the A’s when the Mets were already down six runs.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Rather than saving Butto for an easier-to-win game, Mendoza said he had no choice but to use the right-hander because the health of the rest of the bullpen was in jeopardy and had been heavily used on the just-concluded trip to Seattle.
After Paul Blackburn was eliminated after just four innings against Oakland, Mendoza called up Butto because “we had nobody because of what happened in Seattle. We had three or four players out that day.”
It doesn’t help that other players in the bullpen are also having problems. Reed Garrett and Huascar Brazoban both allowed runs that led to Sunday’s loss to the Marlins, which cost the Mets a chance to win the series.
“Every situation is different,” Mendoza said. “I want to have him available as often as possible, but the games will dictate how we use him.”
The fact that both the rotation and the bullpen have been affected by injuries has made Butto’s ability to last multiple innings even more valuable.
With Kodai Senga – and even Christian Scott – on the injured list, the Mets were able to make some shorter appearances.
And Dedniel Nunez and Sean Reid-Foley are on the injured list, while Brooks Raley and Drew Smith are out for the rest of the season. That means the Mets will have to rely more heavily on players like Garrett and left-hander Danny Young and others.
Butto has thrown a total of 107 innings this season (62 ²/₃ in the Major Leagues and 44 ¹/₃ at Triple-A Syracuse) after throwing 133 innings in each of the previous two seasons, when the 26-year-old was used almost exclusively as a starter.
Mendoza said the team will keep an eye on his efforts, regardless of his role.
“Anything can happen,” said Mendoza. “But he is an important building block for us.”
