The Mets creatively juggled their roster to create a fuller bullpen.
It did not work immediately.
Tylor Megill, fresh off another ineffective start Saturday, and lefty Danny Young were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday.
Replacing the pair were lefty Tyler Jay and righty Matt Festa, who got knocked around in the 11th inning of a 10-5, 11-inning loss to the Astros at Citi Field.
Subtracting a starter and a tired reliever and adding two relatively rested relievers meant the bullpen, which lacks the suspended Edwin Diaz, was back to a full eight members after a thin unit blew Saturday’s game.
Jake Diekman, Reed Garrett and Young combined to allow five runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
Until Wednesday, the Mets will roster four starting pitchers.
David Peterson will open a series in Washington on Monday before Sean Manaea gets the ball Tuesday.
Jose Quintana will receive an extra day of rest and pitch Thursday, creating a hole Wednesday.
Manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged that Jose Butto and Christian Scott are in the mix to re-enter the rotation and start Wednesday.
Butto, who made seven solid starts in April and May with the big-league club, most recently allowed two runs in seven innings on Friday.
Scott, who impressed in five major league starts in May, last pitched Tuesday, when he allowed a run in four innings.
Both are options, though Butto’s schedule would have to be altered less if he gets the call.
Megill will join Syracuse and continue to make starts, the Mets not yet considering the up-and-down righty an option out of the bullpen.
In eight big-league starts this season, the big 28-year-old has shown flashes of excellence but owns just a 5.08 ERA.
“Comes down to executing pitches and being consistent and staying on the attack,” Mendoza said of Megill, who allowed four runs in 5 ⅓ innings to the Astros but might have been sent down even if he had pitched well.
The Mets’ bullpen had been a man down since Diaz was suspended for sticky substances last Sunday. Diekman, Garrett and the since-demoted Young had worked Friday, which likely played a part in the trio’s struggles on Saturday.
Diaz is eligible to return this Saturday.
To create roster space, recent minor league outfield pickup Duke Ellis was designated for assignment and Brooks Raley was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Kodai Senga threw another bullpen session.
If Senga continues to feel OK, his next step would be to begin a minor league rehab assignment “hopefully” Wednesday or Thursday, Mendoza said.
Mendoza was not sure about where Senga’s assignment would begin.
Diaz, who is eligible to return from suspension Saturday, threw a sim game against a couple Brooklyn Cyclones call-ups before the game.
On a day game after a night game, Francisco Alvarez was out of the lineup for the first time in two weeks.
Luis Torrens, starting for the first time since June 16, went 0-for-4 with a walk and threw out two runners trying to steal second.
Ben Gamel made his first start for the Mets and walked in his only plate appearance.
When the Astros brought in lefty Bryan King in the fourth inning, Tyrone Taylor pinch hit for Gamel.
The Mets benefited from the Astros losing Jose Altuve to an ejection in the top of the seventh inning.
The Astros star was ejected for arguing a call in which Altuve believed he had fouled a pitch off his foot and the umpiring crew saw it differently.
With runners on second and third and two outs in a game the Astros were leading, 4-2, Altuve made contact with a pitch that appeared to graze the bottom of his left foot and ground softly toward third base.
Altuve remained in the batter’s box, hopping around in apparent pain, as Mark Vientos fielded and fired to first base for the frame-ending out.
Altuve was incensed and argued with home-plate umpire James Jean, slamming his helmet and bat on the dirt before he was tossed from the game.
Mets fans loudly cheered a player who is a baseball villain everywhere except Houston.
It was an all-around rough game for Altuve, who lost track of the number of outs in the fifth inning and was doubled off first base on a routine fly out.
