Martín Pérez (4-3, 3.02) gets the ball for Atlanta against Sean Manaea (1-1, 5.02) at 4:10 PM ET, a matinee that suddenly carries more weight after Friday night's 7-5 Mets win. Pérez has been the Braves' quiet stabilizer — 5 innings, 3 earned, 5 strikeouts in his last start against Pittsburgh. Manaea's ERA tells you everything about how the early going has gone for him in 2026.
The story hanging over this one is Spencer Strider. He walked off in the fourth Friday with right shoulder and elbow soreness — and a fastball that was sitting 88-89 after touching 96 earlier — and is now on the 15-day IL. Strider got tagged for 7 earned in 3 innings before exiting, and Atlanta is now without him and Spencer Schwellenbach in a rotation that was already stretched.
- 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-ILDrake Baldwin C — Baldwin (oblique) will report to Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday to begin a rehab assignment, Barrett Sallee of 680 The Fan Atlanta 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-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-ILSpencer Strider SP — Strider was removed from Friday's game against the Mets due to right arm soreness.
- 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-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-ILFrancisco Lindor SS — Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that he expects Lindor (calf) to return "this month," Chelsea Janes of SNY.tv reports.
The injury ledger is ugly on both sides. Atlanta is also playing without Sean Murphy, Drake Baldwin is rehabbing in Triple-A, and Ronald Acuña Jr. is day-to-day with a hamstring. The Mets are still missing Francisco Lindor (calf, expected back this month per David Stearns), Jorge Polanco, Kodai Senga, and Tyrone Taylor. Yet here are the Mets at 31-38 trying to claw back into the picture while the 45-24 Braves are the ones leaving Friday looking shaken.
Atlanta's last 5 reads like a slump nobody wants to talk about — a win, three losses and a tie (yes, a tie) — including dropping a series to the White Sox. The Mets, meanwhile, took two of three from the Cardinals after a brutal 9-2 loss and then jumped on Strider Friday. Walt Weiss's club is still the more talented team on paper. They just have not played like it in 2 weeks.
Manaea is the wild card. He has been better in May than the season ERA suggests, and the Braves' lineup without Acuña is more get-throughable than it looks on the back of a baseball card. If Pérez gives Atlanta his usual 5-plus and the bullpen holds, the Braves can flip this series. If not, the Mets are very much alive in it.