The Mets have not determined Montas’ replacement, but top prospects Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat are “definitely in the conversation” to start Saturday against the Seattle Mariners, Mendoza said.

The Mets promoted 22-year-old stud pitching prospect Jonah Tong to Syracuse on Sunday — after he dominated at Double-A Binghamton with a 1.59 ERA over 20 starts — but the expectation within the organization is the right-hander won’t be a candidate to pitch in the major leagues this season.

Losers of seven straight, the struggling Mets are hopeful either Nolan McLean or Brandon Sproat can provide a rotation boost.

So on Tuesday, when manager Carlos Mendoza announced Montas was moving to the bullpen, it was far from a surprise (though objectively disappointing, considering the righthander signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the Mets in the offseason).

The New York Mets needed to make a change in the pitching rotation, and manager Carlos Mendoza has announced his bold decision.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza spoke about the decision to move pitcher Frankie Montas to the bullpen. Mendoza also addressed the possibility of bringing up prospects from the minor leagues, which may in

Frankie Montas, who suffered a strained right lat in spring training and has been ineffective since returning to action, is expected to be available in the Mets' bullpen starting Thursday.

Frankie Montas has not been considered a reliever since he was an Oakland Athletics rookie in 2017. Yet that's what New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza declared on Tuesday that Montas will be for the rest of this season.