Mets Notebook: Grant Hartwig earning more responsibilities in Mets bullpen

BALTIMORE — With the focus now firmly turned toward the future, the rest of the season will be an audition of sorts for some of the Mets. Right-handed reliever Grant Hartwig has shown well in his audition so far.

The Detroit-area native who put off medical school to give baseball a shot seems to have made the right decision. Hartwig is 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA over 19 2/3 innings. The Mets have slowly given him more work and more difficult work, using him in high-leverage situations or to face tough spots in the batting orders.

Hartwig started off solid after the Mets called him up in June. He didn’t allow an earned run over his first four appearances (four innings). But after allowing earned runs in back-to-back appearances for the first time right after the All-Star break, Hartwig noticed the league making some adjustments to him. So, he countered with one of his own by using his cutter against right-handed hitters.

“I didn’t use it at all in AAA, but I saw some results with it early on against right-handers (in the Major Leagues), especially when executed,” Hartwig told the Daily News. “But when not executed, that’s been the pitch that’s hurt me so far.”

Hartwig has thrown 71 cutters so far this season, according to Statcast, and has thrown them mostly in on right-handed hitters. His sinker-slider combination has played better on lefties, which is not what he expected. But he’s found that hitters are chasing the slider more when he’s able to control the outside part of the plate and the cutter has helped him do so.

“Some guys that like the ball coming in on them that are trying to turn and burn, or guys who are trying to see lanes against me, whether it’s outside or inside, that’s kind of the mediator that makes them have to honor the sinker,” Hartwig said. “It also introduces more chase for a slider. So if I can control that to the outside part of the plate against a righty that tunnel now has to be honored for the slider.”

Hartwig keeps the ball on the ground for the most part, which is beneficial for a bullpen that has suffered from home run problems all season. Hartwig hasn’t given up a single long ball yet in his rookie campaign and he has a 43.9% ground-ball rate.

The Mets don’t want to overload Hartwig, but they know they can use him for multiple innings. Saturday night in Baltimore, the former Miami (Ohio) standout went 2 1/3 innings allowing one run on one hit. Two weeks ago in Boston, Hartwig was tasked with acting as the opener during the resumption of a game that was suspended due to rain. Technically, he threw two full innings, but it was parts of three. The third up didn’t even faze the 25-year-old. It’s less about the situational aspect of pitching for Hartwig and more about execution.

“I think my stuff plays well when I use it the way I’m supposed to,” he said. A lot of this is new experiences facing new batters and different types of batters. It’s kind of just trial and error first, so you really don’t know until you use things.”

If Hartwig keeps executing, he may find a way back into the Mets’ bullpen next season.

SQUIRRELY JEFF

Jeff McNeil hasn’t looked like the same player that won the NL batting title last season, but he’s been starting to feel more like that player in recent weeks. McNeil drove in all three of the Mets’ runs in a 9-3 loss to the Orioles on Saturday night at Camden Yards, going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run.

But it was the RBI single he seemed happier with. Putting the ball in play and making life hard on opposing pitchers is what McNeil is good at.

“Just trying to get my swing better, just trying to get back to who I am,” McNeil said. “Hitting singles, trying to get on base. It’s been a really frustrating year for me. I’m not where I want to be, the team isn’t where we want to be. I’m doing what I can to get back.”

Getting the old McNeil back to where he once was would indicate this year was an aberration, and not the norm for one of the Mets’ most important hitters.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brandon Nimmo and Starling Marte were both out of the lineup again Sunday for the Mets’ series finale against Baltimore. They each received scheduled days off, with Nimmo still favoring his left quad and Marte trying to make sure his migraine headaches don’t return. Both were available off the bench.