Mets option pitcher to minors while he was still pitching in odd technicality

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The New York Mets optioned left-handed pitcher Joey Lucchesi on Sunday morning, but the roster move came in wild fashion.

Lucchesi started Saturday’s game against the Washington Nationals that was suspended in the third inning – the lefty was still on the mound while the game was called.

So, technically, the Mets sent the pitcher to the minors in a game he was still pitching.

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Joey Lucchesi of the New York Mets pitches against the Washington at Nationals Park on May 13, 2023. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Of course, with the delay and eventual suspension, Lucchesi would not have pitched on Sunday in any circumstance, but it’s certainly a quirk in the box score.

Lucchesi made his return from Tommy John surgery earlier this year, but it hasn’t gone too well. In his first outing in almost two years, he kept the San Francisco Giants scoreless in seven frames. But since then, he’s allowed 11 runs in 15.1 innings (6.46 ERA).

Joey Lucchesi of the New York Mets pitches against the Nationals on June 18, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

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The suspension of the game did not come without some criticism, as the remainder of the game was completed as part of a split-admission doubleheader. Meaning, fans who spent hours at the ballpark on Sunday would have to come back for the game to resume at 12:35 on Sunday and catch just six innings. The Mets would lose the makeup, 3-2.

It’s been a rough start for the Mets, who boast the largest payroll of all time at just shy of $350 million. After