While pitching for Triple-A New Orleans, Mets pitcher Ruddy Lugo tossed six scoreless innings, struck out nine batters and allowed just four hits on Saturday for the Zephyrs.

The Mets won’t need another pitcher until next Saturday at the very least. Nelson Figueroa figures to get that start.

A few more outings by Lugo like this and he’ll likely be headed to New York relatively soon.

Lugo is next scheduled to pitch on Thursday, April 10th against the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

It appears that Joe Smith will have to prove he deserves to be part of the Mets bullpen last year after he struggled through a dead arm period in the later part of last season. On Mets.com, Mary Noble discusses Joe Smith’s chances of starting the season with the big league club.

Noble talks about how new Met Ryan Church had firsthand experience with Smiths late season decline.

Their shared experience began — and ended — in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17. A 1-1 pitch from Smith in the seventh inning became a pinch-hit two-run home run by Church and another unsightly episode in the Mets’ slippery-slope September slide.

Smith had faced the Nationals three times previously, faced eight batters, struck out four and allowed one to reach base. Those appearances happened in April, and the difference between April and Sept. 17, according to Church was “about six or seven miles an hour.”

Smith will have a tougher time making the team with Duaner Sanchez and Matt Wise in the mix. Sanchez, Billy Wagner, Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis, Pedro Feliciano and Jorge Sosa are are all most likely penciled in already. Smith, Wise, Ruddy Lugo, Juan Padilla, Brian Stokes and Tony Armas Jr. will fight it out for the likely seventh and final spot.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Mets went forward with getting more depth in thier bullpen by claiming RHP Ruddy Lugo from the A’s. Lugo is 8-4 with a 4.39 ERA in 102 major league games. And a little fun fact? He is the younger brother of BoSox SS Julio Lugo.

Yes, I know this seems minor in comparison to yesterday, but I like to see us trying pad the bullpen so it will not get over worked.