Mets righthander Jenrry Mejia reached the major leagues as a 20-year-old in 2010, but it's been a long journey for him to work his way back there.

Mejia made five starts last year for Triple-A Buffalo, but he had Tommy John surgery that year in May and hasn't pitched in a game since then, until today. In his first start back, the 22-year-old Mejia allowed two runs in five innings, struck out one and walked two for high Class A St. Lucie.

In a perfect world, the Mets would probably like to have Mejia develop as a starter, but given his medical history and some mechanical issues he's still trying to sort his way through, his best fit may be in the bullpen. He has a high ceiling in either role, with a mid-90s fastball that has tremendous cutting action and chews up bats, even if he doesn't have the out pitch secondary offerings to miss them at a high clip right now at the major league level. Either way, a player with Mejia's upside shouldn't be forgotten, and it's possible he could be back in the big leagues in the near future.