Mets designate Matt Seelinger for assignment a day after LI native makes MLB debut

The first outing was a two-inning mix of very bad (a seven-run seventh) and good (a scoreless eighth) Tuesday night for the Mets at Citi Field. But no matter the results against the Royals, Matt Seelinger had finally made it.

The righty reliever from Westbury had finally pitched in the majors at the age of 31.

“To be honest with you, I was really excited,” Seelinger said back in the clubhouse afterward. “I wasn’t nervous. They say you can’t feel your legs, but I felt my legs. I’ve just been so ready for this moment that mentally I felt good. I felt clear. I felt calm.”

But the day after, he was no longer on the roster.

The Mets, who acquired the Clarke and Farmingdale State alum from the Tigers for cash Sunday, designated him for assignment Wednesday. He had thrown 52 pitches. A fresh arm was needed for the bullpen. Seelinger’s future is to be determined.

“Great human who touched a dream (Tuesday) of pitching 15 minutes away from where he grew up,” interim manager Andy Green said before Wednesday night’s rematch. “It was a tough first inning, tough from a manager’s perspective or a teammate’s perspective because we desperately needed him to stay out there and pitch, and we left him in a tough spot.

“And then the way he rose and came back out and gave us a second inning, which we desperately needed, and threw up a zero, I think is something that is giving him a lot of confidence going forward that he can throw up a zero in the big leagues. Certainly hope he lands in a great spot next here.

“But for us, great kid, great competitor, and gave us a great second inning.”

Seelinger, who was pitching in his ninth minor-league season before the trade, did indeed take satisfaction from that second inning after seeing a 9-9 game move to 16-9 Kansas City. He also took away two balls — his major-league pitch and his first major-league strikeout.

“It obviously wasn’t the best way that I wanted to start my major-league career,” Seelinger said, “but I was very proud to re-collect myself in the dugout and kind of get my bearings and get out there and compete and put up a zero in that second inning and help the team out. I know the bullpen was in a tough spot on a bullpen day.”

Austin Warren had a tough fifth inning in the loss. The righty reliever allowed five runs, four hits and and a walk and didn’t record an out.

The Mets put him on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to “right forearm tightness.” He said he felt that issue for the first time during the outing. Warren and the Mets were awaiting results of a morning MRI before this latest game.

“Haven’t felt great the last couple (of appearances),” Warren said. “Obviously, that’s part of the game these days. I had outings earlier in the year that I haven’t felt great that went better than (Tuesday) night. Last night, I threw a pitch. I don’t know what pitch number it was, but I just didn’t feel great. I came right in and told them right away.”

Warren’s ERA swelled to 4.63 over 26 games. Asked if his elbow felt OK, Warren said, “It’s hard to say. I’ve had Tommy John before. Obviously, I don’t want to have it again. Hopefully, it’s not serious. Hopefully, it’s some inflammation from throwing a lot lately.”

To fill the two rosters spots, the Mets brought up two righties from Syracuse, Tobias Myers and Xzavion Curry.