Nolan McLean (3-4, 4.21) gets the ball for the Mets opposite Griffin Canning (0-4, 7.16) at Petco, first pitch 9:10 PM CT. Canning is technically winless and carrying a 9.00 ERA across his first four starts since returning from the ruptured Achilles that ended his 2025, though the underlying metrics (4.06 xERA, 3.94 xFIP) suggest the bottom-line number is uglier than the stuff.
Friday's 5-0 Mets win was San Diego's 6th straight loss and their 10th in 11 tries. Christian Scott went 5.2 shutout innings, Jared Young and Luis Torrens homered, and the Padres mustered 3 singles. That's the team Canning is asked to bail out tonight, with the bullpen already minus Jeremiah Estrada (15-day IL) and the rotation thinned by Pivetta, Darvish, Musgrove, Marquez and Waldron all on the shelf.
- 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 — Polanco (Achilles/wrist) will remain on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse through the weekend, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
- Day-To-DayBlake Hunt C — Hunt is dealing with an oblique injury and has been shut down from activity, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
- 7-Day ILJake Cronenworth 2B — Cronenworth (concussion) has been running, playing catch and taking light swings in the batting cage, but he remains without a definitive timetable for a return, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union Tribune reports.
- 10-Day-ILLuis Campusano C — Campusano (toe) has been catching bullpens and is swinging pain-free, per MLB.com.
- 15-Day-ILJeremiah Estrada RP — Estrada (2-2) picked up the loss after giving up the eventual game-winning run in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday.
- 15-Day-ILGerman Marquez SP — Marquez (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday.
- 15-Day-ILMatt Waldron SP — Waldron (forearm) could take on a bullpen role when he returns from the 15-day injured list, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILRamon Laureano LF — Laureano underwent surgery Friday to repair his torn right labrum, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
- 60-Day-ILNick Pivetta SP — The Padres transferred Pivetta (forearm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
The Mets aren't exactly whole either — Lindor, Alvarez, Senga and Polanco are all working back through rehab assignments, and the 28-35 record reflects how long that list has been. But the lineup that's left just hung 5 on San Diego with nothing and went 7-1 in Seattle a few days before that. They're playing better than the standings.
McLean's last outing was a weird one: 5 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned, but 5 walks against the Marlins. He got the W because Miami couldn't capitalize. Against a Padres lineup pressing this hard at the plate, the walks matter less than they did with men on base — if he throws strikes at all, San Diego has been the team unable to cash in.
Pinnacle has the Mets at -117 on the money line with the total sitting at 7.5. That feels about right given Canning's command issues and the Padres' offense going dormant, but a road team chasing the +1.5 at +145 against a slumping favorite is the kind of spot where San Diego either finally breaks the skid or gets buried 8-2. There's no medium outcome with this version of the Padres right now.