New York Mets could use Bartolo Colon out of bullpen Saturday

Bartolo Colon will reportedly be available out of the bullpen for the New York Mets on Saturday when they take on the Boston Red Sox. With Colon unlikely to crack the postseason should the Mets find themselves playing in October, the stint would be getting the 40-year-old ready for a bullpen role in the playoffs.

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Colon pitched seven scoreless innings in his last start against Philadelphia, but with the likes of Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Jon Niese and Noah Syndergaard in the fold, he would appear to be the odd man out in a four-man postseason rotation. He’s not a guarantee to pitch an inning in Saturday’s game, though Colon will not throw his between-starts bullpen session until it’s determined whether he’ll be needed. With Logan Verrett and Carlos Torres both unavailable, the bullpen will lack the necessary depth without Colon should deGrom struggle to go deep into the game.

If Colon doesn’t pitch Saturday, the Mets will likely find ways to work him into some relief appearances before October to see whether he can handle the transition. Over the course of his 18-year career, Colon has made just six relief appearances and just four in the last decade. He has also never made a relief appearance in the postseason.

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