Apr 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) sits in the dug out before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
New York Mets southpaw David Peterson has pitched himself out of a starter’s job, at least for now.
Manager Carlos Mendoza opted to give reliever Tobias Myers the ball to start Sunday’s series finale against the Cubs in Chicago as an opener, with Peterson following him out of the bullpen.
“We knew there was a possibility that we were going to go either with an opener or someone in front of Peterson right after his last outing,” Mendoza said Sunday morning before his team tried to end a dreadful 10-game losing streak. “It was communicated to him after his last outing that there was a chance, but we didn’t know until [Saturday]. We needed to see what kind of shape the bullpen was in.”
Peterson entered Sunday’s action with an 0-3 record and a 6.41 ERA across four starts this season. He was tagged for four runs on five hits with four walks and seven strikeouts across five innings on April 13 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has allowed 14 earned runs across his last three starts (14.1 innings).
“I don’t think it matters what my reaction is,” Peterson told Mike Puma of the New York Post. “It matters what the best decision for the team is. We’re trying to do everything we can to win games.”
Starting with Myers, a right-hander, gave Mendoza an opportunity to “create more of a balanced lineup given how teams are stacking up righties, especially at the top against” Peterson.
“Just trying to create a better balance there for everyone and get 27 outs,” Mendoza said.
Another struggling Mets starter, Kodai Senga, will be staying in the rotation.
The veteran right-hander hit a wall after a promising start to his 2026 season, allowing 13 earned runs and four home runs in just 5.1 innings of work across his last two starts. He allowed just four runs on nine hits with 16 strikeouts in his first two appearances of the season; originally seen as a promising development after a mid-season calf injury threw his mechanics so out of whack during the second half of 2025, that he ended the year in Triple-A.
Mendoza and the Mets have not yet lined up the date of Senga’s next start.
For more on David Peterson and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
