Dillon Gee pitching better in Triple-A

Remember Dillon Gee? The erstwhile Mets big league starter was sent down to Triple-A last month to make room for Steven Matz on the 25-man roster, has been starting games for Las Vegas while scrutiny has shifted away from him and towards the anemic offense of the Mets' major league team.

The last time Gee was seen in the majors he hardly looked like the reliable starter he had been in years past. In his final three appearances with the Mets—two starts and one relief outing—he had a horrific 12.54 ERA. This resulted in a demotion to the minors, where he pitched similarly in his first two starts, allowing 14 runs and 20 hits in just 9.1 innings.

Since then, however, he has bounced back nicely. The right-hander has gone 3-0 with a 3.65 ERA over his last four starts with 21 strikeouts and just six walks in 24.2 innings. This is encouraging considering the notorious hitter-friendly factors of both Las Vegas's home park and the Pacific Coast League in general. If Gee is able to regain his stroke that once made him a reliable back-of-the-rotation starter, he could provide solid depth for the Mets in case of an injury.

Given his improved performance of late, it is possible that he could pitch again for the Mets at some later date with or without an injury to the starting rotation. Terry Collins has floated the possibility of calling up a spot-starter in coming weeks, and Gee could be a viable option in that department. Other options would include Logan Verrett, who has a 0.73 ERA in six relief outings with the Mets this year, and Rafael Montero, who has been rehabbing from a rotator cuff injury that he suffered in April.