Christian Scott to start Thursday for Mets. How it affects rotation

Feb 11, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Christian Scott (46) pitches during spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The 26-year-old Scott is in his first season back after undergoing Tommy John surgery with an internal brace in September 2024.

Before Scott sprained his UCL in his right elbow, he had made a strong impression in his first nine starts with the Mets. The Mets' fifth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft began his career with three quality starts in his first four outings. He closed with a 0-3 record, 4.56 ERA and 1.20 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 47⅓ innings before the injury.

After allowing six earned runs in 3⅓ innings in his season debut, Scott has allowed a combined two earned runs on four hits and two walks in 10⅓ innings with 12 strikeouts in his last two starts.

"These last two, the way he's attacking, the way the ball is coming out of his hand," Mendoza said. "He's built up to a normal starter, but just the way he's executing, the way he's competing. He's a competitor."

Scott carries a mid-90s fastball while mixing in a sweeper, slider and changeup.

How does Christian Scott's presence affect David Peterson?

New York Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) reacts during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 8, 2026, at Citi Field.

The Mets have already made several sweeping changes to the rotation that they brought to spring training.

Sean Manaea was moved to a bulk role out of the bullpen with a week until spring training, and now David Peterson finds himself in a tentative bullpen role after a rough start to the 2026 season.

"It'll be fluid," Mendoza said of Peterson's role. "We see him working as a reliever but he's still built up. We just got to wait and see, let it play out. He could make starts for us in the near future. When he's right, he's pretty good. There were some good signs from him on Sunday, and we expect him to continue to help us win baseball games."

In his first four starts of the season, Peterson went 0-3 with 14 earned runs in 19⅔ innings (6.41 ERA) and a 1.83 WHIP. The left-hander slid behind an opener in Tobias Myers for Sunday's game against the Cubs and had better results, tossing 3⅔ scoreless innings with a strikeout and three walks allowed.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets call up Christian Scott to start, how it affects rotation