ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After six poor starts, Adrian Houser will get a new role for at least a turn through the rotation.
The Mets righty has been demoted to the bullpen, at least for now, manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday before a 10-8 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Houser, who allowed four runs in five innings in a win over the Cubs on Thursday that lowered his ERA to 8.16, will be available as a reliever as soon as Monday.
The Mets are putting off a more permanent decision on Houser’s role until after an off day Thursday.
At that point, Mendoza said, the Mets will decide whether to reinsert Houser to a rotation that may still include Christian Scott, the top prospect who will debut Saturday.
It is possible the Mets, who would like to bake in extra rest for their starters, roll with a six-man rotation afterward, particularly because next Friday begins a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
Or the Mets could continue to use Houser out of the bullpen, which is not an unfamiliar role for a pitcher who had been an occasional swingman for the Brewers.
“We just got to get him back on track,” Mendoza said of Houser, who has lost his command and walked 20 in 28 ²/₃ innings this season.
The 31-year-old Houser, who came with Tyrone Taylor in an offseason trade, has said he has struggled with his arm path, which has led to an issue with location.
If he figures himself out, the Mets’ bullpen — which is lacking the injured Brooks Raley and Drew Smith — could use him.
“Right now he’s going through it, but he’s really working hard, to his credit,” said Mendoza, who added that Houser took the news in stride. “And we’re pretty confident that he’ll get back to the pitcher we know he’s capable of being.”
Brett Baty, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs, notched his first career multi-homer game.
Also for the first time, the third baseman flashed Jalen Brunson’s 3-point celebration, extending his thumb, index finger and middle finger and placing that hand over his mouth.
Asked if he was a Brunson fan, Baty smiled and said: “We are now.”
“Me and DJ [Stewart] were playing around with it,” Baty added. “We want there to be a Knicks game on an off day of ours so we can go catch one.”
Mendoza said surgery is not on the table for Brooks Raley — at least not yet — after the lefty suffered a setback with his throwing elbow.
Raley, who has been on the 15-day injured list since April 21 with elbow inflammation, got a follow-up MRI exam that showed his “inflammation is getting better,” Mendoza said.
The Post’s Joel Sherman has reported that Raley has at least a fraying of a ligament in the elbow.
Raley, who will turn 36 next week, is continuing to throw.
Mendoza acknowledged Raley will miss “a lot longer than we anticipated” and said Raley will try to ramp up a “few weeks from now.”
At that point, the Mets and Raley will see how his elbow reacts.
“We’ll see where we’re at when the intensity gets there,” Mendoza said.
Tylor Megill “came out fine” from his second rehab start, Mendoza said.
Megill threw 51 pitches in 2 ²/₃ innings, in which he allowed one run on two hits with four strikeouts, with Double-A Binghamton on Thursday.
“So far the reports have been encouraging,” Mendoza said of Megill, who is building up from a right shoulder strain.
Megill’s next outing will be next week with either Binghamton or Triple-A Syracuse.
He likely will need additional rehab starts, but Mendoza declined to reveal whether next week’s outing would be his final tune-up.
“We’ll make that decision when we’ll have to make that decision,” he said.
David Peterson (hip surgery) made his second rehab start with Low-A St. Lucie and pitched three scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit and struck out four.
