Megill (shoulder), whom the Mets placed on the 15-day injured list earlier Monday, won't throw for the next five days before beginning his ramp-up process, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Though the injury that landed him on the shelf is being characterized as a right shoulder strain rather than right shoulder soreness, Megill seems optimistic that he won't miss significant time and could even be back around when he's first eligible to return in mid-April. A precise timeline for Megill's return won't come into focus until he reaches the point in his throwing program that he's facing hitters. While 40-man roster members Joey Lucchesi or Jose Butto would seem to be the most logical candidates to replace Megill in the rotation, both were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse in spring training and thus aren't eligible to be promoted until April 12 unless the Mets place a player on the IL in a corresponding move. As such, the Mets may turn to a non-roster player to make spot starts for Megill's next two turns through the rotation.