Mets Notebook: Joey Lucchesi eager to fill any role after missing most of past two seasons

PORT ST. LUCIE — Joey Lucchesi is one of those rare starters who has made a career with only two pitches. It’s not completely unheard of, but a pitcher like Lucchesi who doesn’t throw exceptionally hard but has a devastating breaking pitch typically gets moved to the bullpen at some point in his career.

Lucchesi may end up there himself this season and if that’s what happens, he’s fine with it. After missing most of 2021 and all of 2022 with Tommy John surgery, the left-hander is eager to pitch again at the Major League level.

“I want to just help contribute to the team in any way,” Lucchesi said Friday at Clover Park after starting the Mets’ intrasquad game. “I love starting and I’ve been starting my whole career but I mean, I can help out in the ‘pen too. I can get outs wherever, it doesn’t matter.”

There was some discussion about bringing Lucchesi into the bullpen late last season but the Mets ultimately chose to trust David Peterson and Tylor Megill, two other starters who did not yet have high-leverage relief experience at the time but were able to gain it. Lucchesi made eight rehab appearances last season and was healthy enough to return to the big league team.

However, Lucchesi will likely be needed as a starter at some point during the season, as will Peterson and Megill. So it might make more sense to keep him stretched out in Triple-A, but the Mets plan to assess their bullpen options as Grapefruit League play progresses over the next month.

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Lucchesi and Peterson stand out as left-handers. The Mets only have one left-hander in the rotation, Jose Quintana.

Lucchesi threw two innings and roughly 25-30 pitches, 4-5 of which were his signature “churves.”

“It was a big day for Joey to get out there and throw two innings,” manager Buck Showalter said. “That doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s been a long path for him.”

Two key prospects had strong showings in the intrasquad game. Brett Baty led off the game with a line drive over Francisco Lindor and doubled to the warning track in his second at-bat. Shortstop Ronny Mauricio snared a liner on the run making an impressive defensive play, and walked once. The 21-year-old shortstop has been a free swinger as a professional and scouts say he’ll need to become more disciplined and develop a more discerning eye to be successful at the Major League level.

But for now, it was a pretty good showing for two of the Mets’ most important prospects.