The Mets will use right-hander Huascar Brazoban as an opener ahead of left-hander David Peterson in the middle game of the Subway Series, according to a report from Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. New York entered the series without naming a starter for that game after Clay Holmes handled the opener and Freddy Peralta is scheduled for the finale.
The move marks the fourth time the Mets have used an opener this season, and in every case Peterson has followed as the bulk arm. Brazoban is set for his third such appearance, while Tobias Myers started one game on May 10 at Arizona. The setup gives the Mets a familiar path through a stretch where their rotation has been patched together by circumstance and by choice.
Peterson has been used almost entirely as a starter across his major league work, with 51 starts between 2024 and 2025, and he made four starts to begin the year in the Mets' rotation. But his first four outings produced a 6.41 ERA with 21 strikeouts and 10 walks over 19.2 innings, and the club has since deployed an opener ahead of him in four of the next five turns through the rotation.
That arrangement has worked better once Peterson is in the game. In all four appearances in relief, he entered no earlier than the third inning. As a reliever, he has held opposing hitters to a.222/.246/.365 line with 12 strikeouts and one walk, a sharp contrast with the numbers he posted while working the front of games.
The decision also fits the state of the staff. Holmes suffered a fractured fibula when he was struck by a Spencer Jones 111.1 MPH line drive in the series opener against the Yankees, an injury that effectively ended his season. Kodai Senga threw a bullpen session on May 13 as he continued his return from a back injury, and he is still not described as close to being back. In that context, the opener is less a novelty than a survival plan.
There are alternatives if the Mets decide to look elsewhere later in the week. Jonah Tong is already on the 40-man roster, and Jack Wenninger has made seven starts with Syracuse in 2026, posting a 1.08 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 18 walks in 33.1 innings. Tong last appeared on May 14 and would be on five days' rest when Holmes' spot comes up again on May 20, while Wenninger last pitched on May 12 and would require a 40-man roster move.
For now, the Mets are sticking with the formula they have trusted most around Peterson. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and in a rotation short on healthy answers, that may be the clearest sign of where the club stands.
