NEW YORK -- Mets rookie Christian Scott has started a throwing program with the hope of rejoining the New York lineup this season after being sidelined due to a sprained ligament in his pitching elbow.

The Mets' top pitching prospect threw 35 times at a distance of 75 feet on Tuesday, after throwing approximately 25 times from 60 feet on Sunday.

Scott, who is 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA in nine major league starts since making his debut May 4 with an impressive performance at Tampa Bay, was put on the injured list on July 22 with a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The 25-year-old is hoping to get back in action this season.

"It's really exciting how this team's making a push to the playoffs," Scott said Tuesday. "Hopefully I can be a part of that."

New York manager Carlos Mendoza said Scott still has several steps to go, but was hopeful he could return later in the season.

"It's good that he's throwing the baseball," Mendoza said. "We've just got to wait and see how he continues to progress. Hopefully he's part of the team towards the end."

New York entered Tuesday's series opener against Oakland at 61-57, one game behind Atlanta in the race for the National League's final wild-card spot.

The injuries to Scott and Kodai Senga, who strained his left calf strain in his season debut July 26 and was placed on the 60-day injured list, and the emergence of swingman José Buttó as a valuable late-inning reliever, have depleted the Mets' rotation depth. New York's most experienced starters at Triple-A Syracuse are Joey Lucchesi and Tylor Megill, who have gone a combined 2-6 with a 5.61 ERA in the majors this season.