Mets add Brandon Sproat to rotation as Senga optioned to Triple-A

The New York Mets will add right-hander Brandon Sproat to their rotation this weekend, a move that will make him the third rookie starter in a suddenly youth-heavy group and prompted the club to option veteran Kodai Senga to Triple-A, team officials said Friday. Sproat is scheduled to start Sunday in Cincinnati, a promotion that underscores both the organization’s pitching depth and the urgency created by inconsistent performances from several veteran starters as the Mets push for the postseason in September.

Sproat, a 24-year-old second-round pick in 2023, has spent this season at Triple-A Syracuse, where he made 26 appearances, 25 of them starts, compiling a 4.24 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 121 innings. He has been especially strong recently, posting a 2.01 ERA and 0.83 WHIP over his last nine outings, according to team reports. Scouts praise his multi-pitch arsenal, which includes a high-velocity four-seam fastball that has touched triple digits, a sinker, an upper-80s changeup, and multiple breaking offerings. MLB Pipeline analyst Sam Dykstra cautioned that Sproat’s success will depend on whether his heater can play up against major league hitters and whether his secondary...