SAN DIEGO -- For a time, the cracks were easy to ignore. The Mets’ rotation may have been scuffling a bit without Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, but that was of course to be expected. The idea of losing those two pitchers and coming away completely unscathed was always unrealistic. Plus, New York was winning games without them, padding its National League East lead seemingly daily.

Every part of the above has now changed, except for the fact that the Mets are still not pitching well. Since Scherzer made his last appearance on May 18, New York's starters have produced a 5.28 ERA, including the seven runs (six earned) that Chris Bassitt allowed Wednesday in a 13-2 loss to San Diego. And Atlanta has finally begun taking advantage, winning seven in a row to narrow its NL East deficit to seven games -- the smallest it’s been in a fortnight.

It’s a problem the Mets know they must fix, but how?

What’s gone wrong?
It’s been an amalgamation of things, beginning with Bassitt. When Scherzer joined deGrom and Tylor Megill on the injured list last month, the Mets could at least take solace in the fact that Bassitt had been superb. He seemed like the model of a fill-in ace, going 4-2 with a 2.34 ERA and only four home runs allowed over his first seven starts. But in five outings since Scherzer’s injury, Bassitt has gone 0-2 with a 7.62 ERA and seven homers allowed.

Sometimes, in Bassitt’s opinion, the problem has been pitch selection. Other times, it’s simply been execution. Following Wednesday’s loss, he said he’s both searching for a fix to his problems and struggling to implement the improvements he knows he can make. 

“I’ve never dealt with it,” Bassitt said. “I’m beyond embarrassed and really upset that I’m putting our bullpen guys in positions to literally clean up the rest of the game, but it’s something I’ve never gone through. … To say it’s frustrating would be a big-time understatement.”

Of course, it’s not just Bassitt who has struggled. Outside of Carlos Carrasco, who has had only one lackluster start in Scherzer’s absence, and Taijuan Walker, who has managed to limit damage despite only occasionally pitching deep into games, the Mets have found little consistency from depth starters David Peterson, Trevor Williams and Thomas Szapucki. That trio has produced a 6.99 ERA in seven starts without Scherzer.

What will the Mets do about it?
In the short term, the most impactful move the Mets can -- and will -- make is to activate Megill off the injured list. Team officials intend to do just that in time for Friday’s series opener in Anaheim, despite the fact that he’ll only be stretched out enough to throw 70-75 pitches. Even if Megill (who was nursing a case of right biceps tendinitis) maxes out at four or five innings in that outing, those are four or five innings someone else won’t have to pitch.

Beyond that, the Mets don’t figure to make a significant rotation splash just yet, if it even happens at all this season. With nearly eight weeks to go until the Trade Deadline, the prices for pitchers with stronger resumes than those of Peterson or Williams figure to remain high for some time. The Mets also know they don’t necessarily need to acquire a top-end starter; their path to the World Series almost certainly requires Scherzer and deGrom to be healthy. Their money may be better spent on relief help.

Patience, at this point, remains wise. While the Mets’ NL East lead may be shrinking, it’s still plenty big enough to afford them the luxury of waiting.

So what about Scherzer and deGrom?
The good news for the Mets is that both aces appear to be progressing well. Scherzer (strained left oblique) has been long tossing in Florida, with plans to return to mound work at some point in June. deGrom (stress reaction in right scapula) has already begun throwing bullpen sessions, and while the Mets have maintained a shroud of secrecy around his progress, their hope is that he can return by July.

If everything goes well, New York should have deGrom, Scherzer and Megill all back by the All-Star break, if not sooner than that.

“Tylor was pitching real well for us before he went down, and so was Max,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. "And we all know what Jake’s capable of.”

The more pitching options the Mets have, the less a singular issue such as Bassitt’s struggles will matter. Place Megill, deGrom and Scherzer back in the rotation, and these early-June worries -- remember, it’s not even technically summer yet -- may quickly become a distant memory.