Spencer Strider (4-1, 4.00) gets the ball for Atlanta opposite Nolan McLean (3-4, 3.98) in the opener at Citi Field. Strider's last time out was a 5-inning, 3-ER win over Pittsburgh on 84 pitches — not vintage, but a W is a W. McLean grabbed a no-decision in San Diego after a 6-inning, 1-ER outing where he walked 3 and needed 101 pitches to get there.
The Mets are a mess right now. They got outscored 16-2 in back-to-back home losses to the Cardinals before salvaging Wednesday's finale 5-4, and they're doing it without Francisco Lindor (calf), Jorge Polanco (ankle), Tyrone Taylor (hip), and Kodai Senga (spine/arm). That is a lineup card with a lot of empty space and a rotation patched together with duct tape — not the spot you want to be in when Strider walks through the door.
- Day-To-DayBlake Burkhalter RP — Triple-A Gwinnett placed Burkhalter on the 7-day injured list March 27 with back spasms, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports.
- 10-Day-ILRonald Acuna Jr. RF — Manager Walt Weiss said after Tuesday's game against the White Sox that Acuna is day-to-day with left hamstring tightness, Barrett Sallee of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.
- 10-Day-ILDrake Baldwin C — Baldwin (oblique) is slated to take live batting practice Thursday and Friday and could be cleared to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett over the weekend, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.
- 10-Day-ILKyle Farmer DH — Farmer went 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in Sunday's rout of the Guardians.
- 15-Day-ILTyler Kinley RP — Kinley (4-2) picked up the win over the Nationals on Friday, striking out two in a perfect 11th inning.
- suspensionJurickson Profar LF — Profar will miss the full 2026 season after the appeal of his 162-game PED suspension was denied Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILHurston Waldrep SP — Waldrep (elbow) had his rehab assignment transferred to Double-A Columbus, where he will make his next start Thursday, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.
- 60-Day-ILSean Murphy C — Murphy had the cast on his left hand removed Tuesday and is now wearing a splint to protect his fractured middle finger, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reprots.
- Day-To-DayBrandon Waddell RP — Waddell (shoulder) picked up the win after allowing three runs on four hits while striking out two across three innings during Saturday's game against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.
- Day-To-DayAdbert Alzolay RP — The Mets reassigned Alzolay to minor-league camp Tuesday.
- Day-To-DayMike Tauchman RF — Tauchman (knee) is still rehabbing at the Mets' spring training complex and has yet to resume baseball activities, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayGrae Kessinger 3B — no
- Day-To-DayJoe Jacques RP — The Mets signed Jacques to a minor-league contract Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayKevin Herget RP — Herget signed a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training with the Mets on Thursday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayJose Rojas 3B — Triple-A Salt Lake placed Rojas on its COVID-19 injured list Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
- 10-Day-ILJorge Polanco 1B — An MRI on Polanco's left ankle/Achilles tendon came back negative Tuesday, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.
Atlanta isn't exactly at full strength either. Ronald Acuna Jr. is on the 10-day IL with hamstring tightness, Sean Murphy is still in a splint with a fractured finger, and Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver are both 60-day IL arms working their way back. They've also just dropped 2 of 3 in Chicago to the White Sox, with the most recent game suspended at 0-0 — so the bats have gone quiet for a beat.
Even with all that, the gap between these teams is real. Atlanta is 22 games over .500. The Mets are 8 under and bleeding regulars. Walt Weiss has the better starter, the deeper lineup, and the bullpen that doesn't currently feature 6 names on the 60-day IL list.
The market sees a coin flip — Mets -108, Braves -102 — which is mostly Citi Field giving New York the home tax. McLean has been wobbly since a strong April (per Rising Apple, his May ERA ballooned over 6 before recent stabilization), and a depleted lineup behind him doesn't help. If Strider has anything close to his good slider, this is a Braves game.