How has Dillon Gee looked in Las Vegas?

After beginning the year in the Mets' starting rotation only to be moved briefly to the bullpen before returning to a starting role, Dillon Gee was finally outrighted to Las Vegas after a disappointing start to his season. But how has he done since being sent down to the 51s in an attempt to get his career back on track?

As it turns out, apart from a pair of poor opening appearances, not too bad.

Gee's first start in Triple A, at Salt Lake, saw him go five innings, allowing six runs on seven hits but walking just one and striking out six. However, he actually left with the lead as Las Vegas was up 10-6 (they would go on to win 20-8). His next start, at Tacoma, was a disaster, as he failed to get out of the fifth inning while getting rocked for eight runs on thirteen hits in an 8-4 loss.

A sign of things to come? Not quite. Gee actually settled in over his next six games, allowing no more than four earned runs in a start and pitching back-to-back complete games during that stretch (a two-run, seven-hit affair at Sacramento and a two-run ten-hitter against Tacoma, only walking a combined three batters in those games). He did get shelled once more at Salt Lake (seven runs, ten hits through 4.1 innings on August 9, a 9-6 Bees win) and stumbled against Iowa last Saturday (five runs, eight hits through five), but looked sharp through seven innings against Omaha on Thursday, allowing just a pair of runs on seven hits while walking none.

Looking at Gee's stats in Las Vegas, control has barely been an issue. He has only walked 16 batters in 68.1 innings, a impressive 2.11 walks per nine innings pitched. He hasn't been the most prolific strikeout pitcher—not that he every was as a big leaguer—but does register just under six strikeouts per nine innings, aided by a nine-strikeout performance last month against Fresno.

While the sum of Gee's time in Las Vegas hasn't been remarkable, it looks as though he may be trending upward and at just the right time. With major league teams expanding their rosters to a maximum of 40 players a week from Tuesday, he could find himself given a shot at redemption as the Mets begin their final push toward the postseason.