Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Rays play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
Starting rotation shakeup coming?
Kodai Senga left Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury that will land him on the IL, and the calculus will change with him missing time. But the Mets will still have seven starters for five spots when Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are back.
With Montas making one or two more rehab starts before returning and Manaeaset to make his third rehab start on Sunday, things could get very crowded very soon.
And with New York not planning to utilize a regular six-man rotation in the immediate future, it’s fair to wonder how they’ll make everything fit.
It’s logical to believe that Tylor Megill will slide to the bullpen or get sent to Triple-A Syracuse when room is needed in the rotation. He has minor league options remaining, meaning the Mets can send him down without running the risk of losing him.
Beyond Megill (who starts on Saturday), the next candidate to possibly lose his rotation spot — as unfair as it is — would almost certainly be Griffin Canning, who carries a 3.22 ERA into his start on Sunday.
Playing time on the infield
The Mets are currently juggling four players for two infield spots, with Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuña jockeying between second base and third base.
In the case of McNeil, who has been on fire, he’ll start pretty much every day — and the Mets have the option to use him in center field, where he started on Wednesday.
That leaves Baty, Mauricio, and Acuña as the main players battling for at-bats.
The Mets have the option of using any of them at DH, but most of the time, that has been given to Jared Young and Starling Marte.
Is Francisco Alvarez finding it at the plate?
Before being placed on the paternity list for the birth of his daughter, Alvarez was showing signs of breaking out.
He was hitting 320/.346/.480 in 26 plate appearances over his last six games, including one homer and one double.
Things haven’t come easily at the plate for Alvarez after returning from a broken hamate bone, and that has included him chasing lots of pitches well out of the zone.
But Alvarez has looked better lately. And if he can build on that — especially if he can tap into some more power — he could help take the Mets’ lineup to another level.
Rays are in the thick of the playoff race
The Rays were a bit of an afterthought before the season, but they’re once again right in the thick of things in the playoff race.
Tampa is in third place in the AL East and trails the first-place Yankees by 6.0 games, but they’re currently holding the third Wild Card spot — and are only 2.0 games behind the Blue Jays for the top Wild Card spot.
Junior Caminero (.776 OPS) and Brandon Lowe (.742 OPS) have helped the Rays go, and former Mets prospect Jake Mangum has been strong in his first taste of the majors. Mangum is hitting .304 with a .339 OBP and 10 stolen bases in 33 games.
The Rays also have a very good closer in Pete Fairbanks, who has a 2.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 27.1 innings — and has yet to allow a home run this season.
Drew Rasmussen is healthy and dealing
Tampa’s rotation is anchored by Rasmussen, who has undergone three serious elbow surgeries and is now back and dominating.
In 13 starts over 69.0 innings this season, Rasmussen has a 2.22 ERA and 0.89 WHIP and has allowed just 48 hits.
And Rasmussen has been especially sharp lately.
He made four consecutive scoreless starts spanning May 17 to June 3, before giving up two runs over 6.0 innings in his most recent start on June 8 against the Marlins.
Rasmussen gets the ball on Saturday.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Brandon Nimmo
Nimmo has been heating up, including a two-homer game on Wednesday against the Nationals, and add another longball on Thursday.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Clay Holmes
Holmes has allowed just seven runs over his last four starts.
Which Rays player will be a thorn in the Mets’ side?
Jake Mangum
He has the right combination of contact-ability and speed.
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