Mets plan on getting ‘creative’ with struggling Frankie Montas as rotation decisions loom

The Mets are acknowledging that something must change within their rotation but are not yet ready to state that their answer could be found at Triple-A.

Frankie Montas, having issues with both length and effectiveness, will pitch Saturday but not definitively as the starting pitcher. The Mets said they could get “creative” with the struggling righty and perhaps use an opener in front of him.

A source said that Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, rolling at Syracuse and “knocking on the door,” as manager Carlos Mendoza put it, were not yet in discussions to replace either Montas or Clay Holmes in the starting group. It is no certainty that either or both debut this season despite their impressive work a level below.

Entering Monday’s 7-6 loss to the Guardians, the Mets had not received a start of six innings or longer from any pitcher not named David Peterson in more than eight weeks. Their rotation had thrown the fifth-fewest innings in baseball since June 1. Included in that stretch have been seven starts from Montas in which he has posted a 6.68 ERA.

Upon returning from a right lat strain, Montas originally was a liability because he was still building up his pitch count. More recently, he has not been able to pitch deep into games simply because he has not pitched well enough to pitch deep into games: He has given up 12 runs in his past two outings, including a four-inning, seven-run blowup in a loss Sunday to the Giants.

The Mets are anticipating that, because of Thursday’s off-day, they will have a reasonably rested bullpen on Saturday, when Montas will pitch in some form in Milwaukee.

The 10th-year veteran, signed last offseason to a $34 million deal over two years with a player opt-out, owns a 6.43 ERA in the first inning. The Mets do not want to make any determination about Montas’ role until he pitches again.

“We’ll get through [the game] Friday and kind of see where we are,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “We may use an opener [Saturday], may not. … And then we’ll go from there.”

Montas has been knocked around. Holmes owns a 4.30 ERA in his past nine games, none of which has seen the former reliever finish the sixth inning. Kodai Senga has been wild in four starts off the IL. Monday’s starter, Sean Manaea, has been building up on the fly.

Syracuse’s rotation houses Sproat, a top prospect who has allowed two earned runs in his past six starts and 33 innings while striking out 39, and McLean, who has made 19 starts this season and allowed more than three runs twice.

Stearns was noncommittal about how soon the pair could help.

“I think it’s always a combination of when developmentally those guys are ready, and also when there’s the need and how to fit it on the roster,” Stearns saidbefore the series opener against the Guardians at Citi Field. “And so we may get to the point where we decide that it’s the best thing to do to bring one or both of them here. But we’re not at that point yet.”

Developmentally, does he think they’re ready?

“I think they’re getting close,” Stearns said. “I think they’ve both had really good months and are making progress.”

The Mets upgraded in center field (with Cedric Mullins) and in the bullpen (with Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley) at the deadline but did not land any rotation help. They did hold onto Paul Blackburn, who is expected to make one more rehab start for Syracuse before the Mets decide what to do with him.

Will their pair of righty top prospects be seen at the major league level this year?

“It’s a good question,” Mendoza said. “They continue to develop, and they continue to put themselves in a position where all right, we’re going to have that conversation. They’re knocking on the door.”