Lannan added to roster, will be in Mets' bullpen

PORT ST. LUCIE -- Left-hander John Lannan already was expected to be a part of the Mets' season-opening bullpen, but the club made that official on Thursday when it added him to the 40-man roster.

Lannan had signed a Minor League contract with New York this offseason and came to camp to compete for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. While he didn't win that, he did make the club. The 29-year-old pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings of relief in Thursday's game against the Nationals, lowering his spring ERA to 4.91. In 14 2/3 innings, spanning eight appearances, he allowed 15 hits, walked six and struck out 11.

With the addition of Lannan to complement Scott Rice, the Mets' bullpen is slated to enter the season with two southpaws.

A Long Island native, Lannan has started all 148 of his Major League games over seven seasons. Last year, he left the Nationals to sign as a free agent with the Phillies and went 3-6 with a 5.33 ERA in 14 outings.