Mets plan on getting ‘creative’ with struggling Frankie Montas as rotation decisions loom

The Mets are acknowledging that something must change within their rotation but are not yet ready to state that their answer could be found at Triple-A.

Frankie Montas, having issues with both length and effectiveness, will pitch Saturday but not definitively as the starting pitcher. The Mets said they could get “creative” with the struggling righty and perhaps use an opener in front of him.

A source said that Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, rolling at Syracuse and “knocking on the door,” as manager Carlos Mendoza put it, were not yet in discussions to replace either Montas or Clay Holmes in the starting group. It is no certainty that either or both debut this season despite their impressive work a level below.

Entering Monday’s 7-6 loss to the Guardians, the Mets had not received a start of six innings or longer from any pitcher not named David Peterson in more than eight weeks. Their rotation had thrown the fifth-fewest innings in baseball since June 1. Included in that stretch have been seven starts from Montas in which he has posted a 6.68 ERA.

Upon returning from a right lat strain, Montas originally was a liability because he was still building up his pitch count. More recently, he has not been able to pitch deep into games simply because he has not pitched well enough to pitch deep into games: He has given up 12 runs in his past two outings, including a four-inning, seven-run blowup in a loss Sunday to the Giants.

The Mets are anticipating that, because of Thursday’s off-day, they will have a reasonably rested bullpen on Saturday, when Montas will pitch in some form in Milwaukee.