NEW YORK -- Rafael Montero, who was scratched from his scheduled start for Double-A Binghamton on Saturday, will be recalled to start Monday's series opener against the Marlins in place of Jacob deGrom, the Mets announced.
Montero, who allowed three runs over 2 1/3 innings of relief in his previous stint with the Mets in April, struggled mightily in Triple-A this season, posting a 4-6 record with a 7.20 ERA in 16 starts that led to a reassignment to Binghamton on July 14. Since that move, though, the right-hander has performed well, going 4-2 with a 1.70 ERA while holding opponents to a .195 batting average in eight starts.
"He's had two real, real good starts and he has an ERA that is sub-two," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Even though it is Double-A, this is still a good league and in order to have that kind of ERA you have to be pitching well."
The need for a spot starter arose after the Mets decided to skip deGrom's turn in the rotation to give him time to fix some mechanical issues they believe to be the cause of back-to-back rough outings for their ace. deGrom allowed a combined 13 runs and 25 hits over 9 2/3 innings in his last two starts.