Manager Luis Rojas announced a slight change to his upcoming starting rotation. Jacob deGrom, who was scheduled to start in the series finale at Wrigley Field on Thursday, will now start Friday as the Mets return home to take on the Nationals.

Rojas said that his ace asked for his start to be pushed back a day. deGrom threw 99 pitches in his last start in Colorado, where he earned his first win of the season.

Joey Lucchesi, making his second start of the season, will take the mound for game three of the series in Chicago. In his last start versus the Rockies, the lefty tossed just 55 pitches over three innings, allowing three runs on four hits.

“Well, Jake wanted the extra day, and it keeps Lucchesi in line, too,” Rojas said of the change. “So, it just works well.”

Though the southpaw will pitch on four days of rest after not making his first start of the season until Saturday, Rojas said that due to the low pitch count, he is confident sending out Lucchesi.

Lucchesi has made 13 career starts on a normal four days of rest, boasting a 3.69 ERA and an even 5-5 record.

Hillman helping kids
Former Met Eric Hillman is celebrating his 55th birthday by giving back to his city. On Thursday, the former pitcher will walk 55 miles to raise awareness for New York City children who suffer from malnutrition. He’s partnered with the non-profit No Kid Hungry, which also has a partnership with the Mets.

“These kids may not grow up to be big leaguers, but all kids deserve to eat like one,” Hillman said.

Hillman hopes to raise money to help the one in three children who are food-deprived reach their nutrition goal. For every dollar he collects, 10 meals will be provided to children.

“I wanted to do something fun with my birthday this year while also giving back,” Hillman said. “No one gets to the Major Leagues without a lot of help. These kids need help at a basic level and I can’t think of a better organization to help end child hunger in New York than the New York Mets.”