Dustin May (3-6, 4.59) draws the assignment for the Cardinals against Freddy Peralta (4-4, 3.63) with first pitch at 6:10 PM CT in Queens. May is coming off a 90-pitch no-decision against Texas — 5.2 innings, 3 earned, 9 punchouts — and Peralta is fresh off a 6-inning, 1-run win in Seattle.
The vibes around these two clubs could not be more different right now. The Cardinals have ripped off 4 wins in a row, including a tidy sweep of the Reds at Busch, and they're walking in as -120 chalk on the moneyline despite playing on the road. The Mets, meanwhile, are 29-36 and trying to keep their season above water with a patchwork lineup.
The injury report is doing a lot of the talking for New York. Francisco Lindor (calf), Francisco Alvarez (knee), Jorge Polanco (ankle), Tyrone Taylor (hip), Mike Tauchman, Ronny Mauricio — the position-player IL is a roster unto itself. Kodai Senga is still working back via Triple-A Syracuse, and Clay Holmes is on the 60-day. St. Louis is largely intact and actually gets Nathan Church activated off the 10-day before this one, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat.
- Day-To-DayPacky Naughton RP — Naughton will undergo surgery next month to repair the damaged UCL in his left elbow, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- Day-To-DaySem Robberse SP — Robberse (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- Day-To-DayVictor Santos RP — The Red Sox traded Santos (undisclosed) and Nick Robertson to the Cardinals on Friday in exchange for Tyler O'Neill (foot), Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
- Day-To-DayIxan Henderson SP — Henderson (elbow) is starting the season on the 60-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis.
- Day-To-DayZack Thompson RP — The Cardinals reassigned Thompson (shoulder) to minor-league camp Monday.
- 10-Day-ILNathan Church LF — Church (shoulder) will be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's game versus the Mets, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
- 10-Day-ILRamon Urias 3B — Urias (elbow) returned to St. Louis to undergo an examination on his left elbow, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
- 15-Day-ILRyan Fernandez RP — The Cardinals recalled Fernandez from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.
- 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-ILTyrone Taylor CF — Taylor (hip) began running this past week but has yet to resume full baseball activities, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
There's some smoke around May himself worth flagging — multiple reports have him as a trade candidate ahead of the deadline if the Cardinals slip out of the race, which they currently are not. His underlying stuff has played up: 9 K's in his last outing, a strong May run that included taking a no-hitter into the 8th against Milwaukee. The Mets, for their part, keep insisting Peralta isn't going anywhere as long as they think a postseason push is alive.
Total sits at 7.5 with the over juiced to -116, which feels honest given both arms have been mostly stingy but neither bullpen is bulletproof. If Lindor and Alvarez are out and Peralta hands a one-run game to the back end, that's where this thing tilts. Cards have the momentum, the cleaner roster, and a starter pitching for a contract — that's a lot working in their favor on a Tuesday in Queens.