Monday's series opener at Great American kicks off at 7:10 PM ET, and probables haven't been pinned down for either side yet this far out. Whoever the Reds run out gets to attack a Mets lineup that's been historically punchless, and whoever the Mets send is pitching in the most homer-friendly park in the National League. Pick your poison. The bigger story is just how thoroughly the Mets have cratered. FanGraphs, Sportsnaut and ESPN's panic meter have all spent the last two weeks autopsying a $382 million roster that ranks dead last in MLB in runs scored, on-base percentage and slugging. They split four with the Cardinals at home over the weekend after getting outscored 16-2 in the middle two games, and they're 13.5 back of Atlanta in the East. This isn't a slump anymore, it's the identity. Cincinnati isn't exactly humming either. The Reds have dropped 4 of 5 and got swept around by the Padres on the road last week, but they're still a winning home club and they're inching closer to getting Elly De La Cruz back. Per The Athletic, De La Cruz had his MRI moved up to Friday, he's been taking infield two days running, and the initial 2-4 week timeline now looks conservative. He won't be activated for this opener, but a Reds offense plus De La Cruz inside of 10 days is a totally different team. The Mets injury list is, frankly, embarrassing. Francisco Lindor (calf) is finally doing full baseball activities this week per SNY, but he's still out. Jorge Polanco's ankle MRI came back clean and Kodai Senga went 6 innings of 1-run ball on a Double-A rehab start Thursday, so reinforcements are coming. They're just not coming Monday. The lineup Carlos Mendoza writes out at Great American is going to be heavy on guys getting opportunities they weren't supposed to get. The cleanest read on this series is the park. Great American turns mediocre contact into souvenirs, and the Reds' bullpen has been leaking late (3 of their last 5 losses came by a run or two). A Mets team that can't push runs across against anyone might suddenly find some life in this building — or get buried by it. Series opener Monday, and a sweep either way changes the temperature on both clubhouses.