CHICAGO — Carlos Mendoza cannot afford to give his starting pitchers any more wiggle room with less than one week left in the regular season.
There is no margin for error for the Mets in the standings, with the Reds holding the tiebreaker for the final National League Wild Card spot. And later this week, that impediment could loom large when the Mets play their final game in Miami.
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David Peterson would be lined up to make that start based on the calendar, but the left-hander floundered to his shortest start of the 2025 season at a critical moment on Tuesday night in Chicago.
Peterson allowed five earned runs on five hits and two walks and lasted only 1⅓ innings, but the Mets overcame that abbreviated outing in a 9-7 victory over the Cubs in front of 35,729 fans on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
“Weird one, but a tough one and go back and look at video and move on, but amazing team win,” Peterson said. “Can’t say enough about the bullpen. They stepped up big. I don’t have enough words to show my appreciation for what they did. They picked me up big-time.”
The outing from the left-handed veteran immediately pushed the Mets back to the ropes.
New York Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) throws against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning on Sept. 23, 2025, at Wrigley Field.
After Francisco Lindor opened the game with a leadoff home run, the Cubs answered by cashing in on a single and a walk when Carlos Santana laced a double over the head of Juan Soto in right field.
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It got worse for Peterson in the bottom of the second inning as the only out he recorded in the frame came on a sacrifice bunt after issuing a leadoff walk and a single to put two runners on with no outs. The Cubs grew their lead to 5-1 as Nico Hoerner pulled an RBI single into left field and Ian Happ lined a knee-high single the same way for a two-run double.
The Mets manager motioned to the bullpen.
“Not able to fill the strike zone the way we wanted to, the way he wanted to — three-ball counts, got behind hitters and then when he came in, they made contact and they hit some balls hard that found holes,” Mendoza said.
“We’re gonna need this guy. I know it’s been a struggle. It wasn’t a good one today, but our job is continue to support him and he’s going to play a big role here in the next few days, so counting on him. You gotta flush this one and then be ready for whenever we give him the ball again.”
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With Tuesday’s latest rocky outing, Peterson has now allowed 25 earned runs in his last five starts across 18⅔ innings. Peterson’s night ended at just 42 pitches.
So what is exactly is that role? And could it be in the bullpen?
“Where we’re at nowadays, we gotta take it one day a time,” Mendoza said. “Maybe he starts a game, but we gotta get there.”
It has been a precipitous drop-off in quality for Peterson since he earned his first All-Star selection earlier this season. He has now pitched to a 9.72 ERA in four September starts. At 168⅔ innings, Peterson has thrown 47⅔ more innings than his previous career high but he contends he is healthy.
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The consistent ineffectiveness has Peterson and the Mets searching for answers.
“I think tonight there was a couple pitches I didn’t get to the locations I wanted them to and they took advantage,” Peterson said. “Other than that, they didn’t chase some good pitches that I threw outside the zone and I can’t control that.”
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) on the field before a game against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 23, 2025, at Wrigley Field.
At a time when the Mets badly need results — and a bit of a boost to alleviate the strain on the bullpen — the struggles have persisted.
Peterson’s latest short outing could have down roster impact as Mendoza was forced to deploy six relievers to cover the final 7⅔ innings. With five more important games to be played, the Mets manager has a delicate balance to make between winning games at all costs and not wearing down his pitching staff.
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Where Peterson falls in that calculus remains to be seen moving forward.
“I can’t be thinking about tomorrow. I gotta do what we gotta do here to win today and then worry about tomorrow, tomorrow,” Mendoza said. “I’m glad the guys came through today and now we gotta sit here and see how we’re gonna piece it together.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Is David Peterson’s spot in NY Mets rotation in jeopardy after rough outing vs Cubs?