First pitch is 3:10 PM ET in Queens, and the marquee is a near-mirror of last Sunday in Miami: Tyler Phillips (0-0, 1.07 ERA) versus Christian Scott (0-0, 3.20). The two faced off on May 24 and combined for nine and a third scoreless innings — neither got the decision, but the Marlins eventually pitched a shutout to sweep the Mets out of LoanDepot park.
Scott was efficient in that rematch setup: 5.2 innings, 4 hits, 0 earned, 5 strikeouts on 94 pitches. Phillips was the more economical of the two at 59 pitches across 3.2 innings. Both lines are tiny sample sizes for the season, but each guy has earned the right to keep getting the ball, and the home plate ump should plan on a brisk afternoon if either rolls his pitch mix forward.
The Mets are 24-33 and have lost more games than they've won in basically every direction lately, but they at least walked off Friday's series opener 9-7 against this same Marlins club. That snapped a stretch that included getting shut out by Miami last Sunday and then dropping two straight 7-2 stinkers to the Reds. Carlos Mendoza's room is also functionally a MASH unit — Francisco Lindor is finally on a running progression, Francisco Alvarez is close to a rehab assignment, and Jorge Polanco could return on the upcoming road trip, per Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record.
- Day-To-DayKemp Alderman RF — Triple-A Jacksonville placed Alderman on the 7-day injured list Tuesday due to a left wrist injury, Michael Germanese of Roundtable.io reports.
- Day-To-DayThomas White SP — Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Sunday that White is recovering from "a bit of a shoulder thing," Kyle Sielaff of Marlins.tv reports.
- 10-Day-ILGriffin Conine LF — Conine (hamstring) appears to be a week or two away from beginning a rehab assignment, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
- 15-Day-ILEury Perez SP — The Marlins placed Perez on the 15-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Thursday, due to a right gracilis strain.
- 60-Day-ILRobby Snelling SP — Snelling underwent internal brace surgery Friday to repair a torn UCL in his left elbow.
- 60-Day-ILRonny Henriquez RP — The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
- 60-Day-ILAdam Mazur SP — The Marlins placed Mazur (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- OutJesus Tinoco RP — The Marlins re-signed Tinoco (elbow) to a minor-league contract Jan. 5.
- 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-DayNick Burdi RP — The Red Sox reinstated Burdi (hip) from the injured list Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester.
- 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 — Polanco (Achilles) will play two more rehab games and could be activated from the 10-day injured list some time next week on the Mets' road trip, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.
- 10-Day-ILFrancisco Alvarez C — Alvarez (knee) is going through full baseball activities and could be ready for a rehab assignment as soon as next week, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.
Miami is dealing with its own rotation problems — Eury Perez landed on the 15-day IL Friday with a right gracilis strain, joining Robby Snelling (UCL surgery) and Adam Mazur on the longer-term shelf. The Marlins won two in a row to start their last five and then dropped three straight, so the vibes are wobbly even before you factor in coughing up a seven-run game at Citi yesterday.
Pinnacle has the Mets at -127 with a 7.5 total, and DraftKings money is leaning Mets on the spread (72% of bets on the +1.5). Given both starters have been pitching out of their minds in tiny samples and the bullpens behind them are picked-over, the under feels like the cleaner read than picking a side — but the EV column on every market here is negative, so this is a watch-the-game day more than a fire-up-the-ticket day.