Lugo struck out all three batters he faced in a scoreless eighth inning to record his fifth hold of the season in Sunday's win over the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander has taken over from the struggling Jeurys Familia as New York's top setup man, and Lugo has posted a 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and dazzling 13:1 K:BB over his last 10 innings. He hit triple-digit strikeouts last year while shifting through a variety of roles, and manager Mickey Callaway's willingness to use him for multiple innings -- Lugo's recorded more than three outs in half of his 12 appearances -- should allow him to pile up the K's once again while easily topping the career-high 11 holds he managed in 2018.

Lugo walked one and struck out two over two scoreless innings of relief to record his third hold of the season in Monday's win over the Phillies.

EDGE Analysis

After a couple of rough outings at the beginning of April when he was battling an illness, Lugo has regained his footing, posting a 1.29 ERA, 0.57 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB over his last seven innings. The Mets are committed to using closer Edwin Diaz only in ninth-inning save situations, which leaves more work available for multi-inning set-up arms like Lugo -- increasing the right-hander's fantasy appeal and strikeout upside.

Lugo allowed two runs on two hits while recording just one out in Thursday's loss to the Nationals.

EDGE Analysis

Lugo has now allowed nine runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks through four appearances (3.2 innings) to open the season. According to Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record, the right-hander has been battling an illness recently, which along with his usage -- he's thrown 105 pitches over the last week -- is believed to be part of the reason for his early season struggles. Lugo was stellar for the Mets last season (2.66 ERA and 103:28 K:BB in 101.1 innings) and figures to occupy a key bullpen role again, so long as he can smooth out the kinks.

Lugo picked up his first hold of the season in Thursday's win over the Nationals, striking out the side in a perfect seventh inning.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander carved through the bottom part of the Nats' order, firing 11 of his 15 pitches for strikes and topping out at 96 mph with his fastball. Lugo set career highs with 11 holds and a 9.2 K/9 in 2018 while bouncing between roles on the pitching staff, but if he gets a chance to settle into a seventh-inning setup assignment in front of Jeurys Familia and new Mets closer Edwin Diaz, he should be able to top those numbers and provide solid fantasy value.

Lugo struck out three over two perfect innings of relief in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander now sports a 1.04 ERA and electric 11:1 K:BB through 8.2 innings this spring. Lugo may enter the regular season in a middle-relief role, but his ability to work multiple innings and pile up strikeouts still gives him fantasy value even if he doesn't have a clear path to saves or starts.

Lugo will not be competing to start the season in the rotation, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

EDGE Analysis

There will be no competition for the fifth starter spot, manager Mickey Callaway said Wednesday, with Jason Vargas locked into the role. This contradicts reports from earlier in the offseason which suggested that Lugo had a shot at the job. Of course, the Mets' starters don't have the greatest injury records, so Lugo could well be called upon for a large handful of starts at some point in the season in the event of injury or if Vargas continues to struggle like he did last season.

Lugo will be an option in the Mets' rotation in 2019, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

EDGE Analysis

The suggestion, which comes from general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, contradicts comments by manager Mickey Callaway, who stated earlier in the offseason that Lugo would likely open the season in the bullpen. It remains unclear whether Lugo will truly be in consideration for a rotation spot in camp. The most probable scenario is that he'll begin in the bullpen, but Jason Vargas hardly has an ironclad hold on the team's fifth starter role, so it's not hard to envision Lugo getting a shot to start should the veteran lefty continue to struggle.

Manager Mickey Callaway said he prefers to keep Lugo in the bullpen heading into the 2019 season, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

EDGE Analysis

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering Lugo served exclusively as a reliever during the second half of this past season. He only would up starting five games out of his 54 appearances while logging a 2.10 ERA and 0.82 WHIP during the final two months. The 29-year-old figures to serve in a high-leverage role alongside Robert Gsellman with the recently-acquired Edwin Diaz set to close.

Manager Mickey Callaway said Lugo will be unavailable this weekend due to concerns over his workload, Mike Puma of The New York Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Lugo equaled his 2017 tally in terms of innings pitched (101.1) after earning the save against the Braves on Wednesday. Across 54 appearances (five starts) with the Mets this year, Lugo logged an impressive 2.66 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. With Robert Gsellman also unavailable during the club's final series of the 2018 season, Anthony Swarzak will likely be the next man up for any save situation.

Lugo struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his third save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Braves.

EDGE Analysis

While he hasn't been able to claim the Mets' closer job on a full-time basis down the stretch, Lugo has been exceptional in a high-leverage role, posting a 1.35 ERA and 18:1 K:BB through 13.1 innings in September with two saves and three holds in nine appearances. The 28-year-old should be a key part of the team's bullpen in 2019, but whether he'll be a consistent source of saves remains to be seen.