Mets may still shut down their young starters late in the season

The Mets have tried a number of methods to cut innings from their trio of young starters, including spot starts and a six-man rotation, but Terry Collins said this weekend that Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Matt Harvey might still face a shutdown as the season draws to a close.

Harvey, in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, has already thrown 133 innings; his high came in 2013 with 178.1 innings. deGrom has thrown 133.1 innings, after 140.1 innings in his rookie season last year. Syndergaard, between Triple-A and the majors, has thrown 124.1 innings, after a high of 133 innings last year in Las Vegas.

Steven Matz's eventual return would help cut down on innings thrown by the young hurlers, and Collins also said that the Mets will use a spot starter later this month. Logan Verrett is currently starting games in Triple-A and could return in that role. Dillon Gee has also pitched better in Triple-A recently.

General manager Sandy Alderson, however, told the New York Post that the postseason is "independent" of innings limits in the regular season, so any shutdown in September will not affect the starting rotation if and when the Mets make the playoffs. Collins reiterated that point today, saying that no one is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs because of shutdowns.