#Marcus Stroman sunk by ineffective sinker in Mets’ loss

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Marcus Stroman’s sinker wasn’t sinking, which became a significant issue for the Mets on Sunday.

All told, the right-hander surrendered a season-high three homers in the Mets’ 7-1 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field. Stroman allowed five earned runs over six innings.

“I just didn’t have it today,” Stroman said. “I don’t really overthink to be honest, and I don’t dwell on a bad start any more than on a good start. Just flush it and get ready for the next one.”

Manuel Margot, Willy Adames and Brandon Lowe all took Stroman deep to account for the runs against him.

“I thought his sinker wasn’t getting that downer movement at some point,” manager Luis Rojas said. “The cutter/slider was the pitch toward the end. The changeup was a good pitch today, but the sinker was just moving more laterally than vertically for him today.”

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Thomas Szapucki and Jordan Yamamoto are two names Rojas acknowledged as candidates to arrive from Syracuse and pitch Tuesday against the Braves. But the manager also said the Mets could return to Joey Lucchesi, who struggled Saturday in his outing against the Rays over 1 ²/₃ innings.

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Brandon Nimmo will join the Mets in Atlanta to continue his rehab after his left index finger flared up in recent days, scrapping his minor league rehab assignment after just one game.

“We are going to bring him back with the team and do further treatment,” Rojas said. “Until it’s 100 percent pain-free we are not going to have him out there just taking at-bats or playing rehab games.”

Nimmo has missed the last two weeks after sustaining a bone bruise in the finger.

J.D. Davis is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Syracuse. The third baseman is recovering from a left hand sprain that has kept him sidelined for the last two weeks.