Chris Schwinden to Minors, Miguel Batista to Start

So I was wrong when I predicted that Chris Schwinden would get one final chance to prove that he should be Mike Pelfrey’s replacement in the rotation — he’s been sent down to the minors, perhaps never to be heard from again.

Schwinden (left) had two chances to show the Mets he belonged and he failed miserably. Oddly, his pitching lines were nearly identical in both games — four innings, five earned runs for an 11.25 ERA.

The Mets announced that Miguel Batista would be the next to audition. The ancient poet-swingman has already started one game this season, lasting all of 3.2 innings and allowing six runs. His overall ERA is a sparkling 6.92. If he fails, Jeremy Hefner should be next.

The Mets are hoping Chris Young will be ready in a month or so. They were encouraged by a simulated game he threw on Monday but canceled plans for Young to pitch in a real minor league game. Young is coming back from the same torn anterior capsule surgery that Johan Santana had. Young had his a year ago — Santana was finally able to pitch a year and a half after his surgery.

Remember, Santana did some throwing last summer — a year after his surgery — and he had to be shut down. Everyone is different, and Young is said to be ahead of where Santana was at this point, but it is anything but a sure thing that Young will be able to come back anytime soon.