The Mets agreed to a minor-league deal with Scott Erickson yesterday, bringing the veteran righty in to compete for the fifth starter’s spot, the Associated Press reported last night.

Erickson missed the 2003 season with a partially torn labrum and, in fact, didn’t pitch in 2001 either after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In his last full campaign, 2002 with Baltimore, he made 29 starts, going 5-12 with a 5.55 ERA.

But Erickson, who turned 36 on Monday and married Monday Night Football reporter Lisa Guerrero on Tuesday, was impressive in a showcase workout in Arizona on Jan. 20. Rick Thurman, one of Erickson’s agents, said the pitcher threw between 85-88 mph and expected him to add probably another 3-5 mph.