Didier Fuentes struggles, leaving Braves with decision after 7-3 loss to Mets

NEW YORK — The Mets are a step above the faulty Marlins that 20-year-old Didier Fuentes faced in his MLB debut, and it showed on Wednesday night.

The young Braves starter surrendered six runs in 3.1 innings, as the Braves fell to the Mets 7-3 at Citi Field.

Fuentes has high upside — his pitch arsenal includes a fastball that averaged over 96 mph in his two starts — but the appearances showed he needs more time to develop.

And the Braves, who are 37-42 and fighting for a Wild Card spot, cannot afford to lose games.

The urgency leaves the club in an uncomfortable position. It can either let Fuentes work through his obstacles in the big leagues, citing his stuff as a reason for optimism, or it can call up someone else to fill Chris Sale’s spot in the starting rotation until he returns from a fractured rib cage.

But the options outside of Fuentes are not promising — Ian Anderson, once a World Series starter, continued to struggle in Triple-A with a 6.10 ERA in eight starts, while No. 2 prospect Hurston Waldrep issued 12 walks in 17 innings in the month of June.

Hence, the Fuentes opportunity.

He only allowed one run his first time through the Mets’ lineup on Wednesday, but hard hits indicated that the floodgates would soon open. And they did in the fourth inning, as the Mets brought 10 batters to the plate — seven against Fuentes — and scored five runs to bury the Braves.

Manager Brian Snitker was non-committal when asked if he anticipates Fuentes making another start but said the 20-year-old needs in-game experience to improve.

“The thing that you can do is get out there and pitch,” Snitker said. “That’s how you learn.”

Fuentes left too many pitches over the plate towards the end of his start, and the vaunted Mets lineup took advantage. The inconsistent command is understandable for a pitcher as inexperienced as Fuentes, who is now the second-youngest starting pitcher in Citi Field history, and in most cases, he would have time to work through it in the minor leagues. (Remember, he only made one start in Triple-A before receiving the call up.)

But the Braves need someone to step into the rotation now. They are seven games out of the National League’s final Wild Card spot and cannot afford for their bullpen to cover the majority of a game every five days.