Tobias Myers (0-1, 4.05) draws the short straw opposite Chase Burns (7-1, 2.14) for first pitch at 7:10 PM ET in Cincinnati. Carlos Mendoza has already confirmed Myers is working on a roughly 40-pitch leash, so this is a bullpen game dressed up as a start — Myers was at Triple-A as recently as late May being stretched back out after a stint as a reliever.
The Burns matchup is the headline. The Reds' rookie has been the story of their rotation, sitting at 98.5 mph with a slider that's generated whiff rates the league hasn't seen out of a first-year starter in years. He last went 5.1 innings against the Padres with 7 strikeouts on 105 pitches, and the Mets — who already lean strikeout-prone with this lineup — are walking into the buzzsaw without Francisco Lindor or Jorge Polanco.
- 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.
- Day-To-DayConnor Burns C — no
- 10-Day-ILElly De La Cruz SS — Reds manager Terry Francona said Friday that an MRI showed De La Cruz's right hamstring strain to be 90 percent healed, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reports.
- 10-Day-ILKe'Bryan Hayes 3B — Hayes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
- 15-Day-ILEmilio Pagan RP — Pagan (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a live bullpen session Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 15-Day-ILPierce Johnson RP — Johnson (elbow) is expected to toss a bullpen session Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 60-Day-ILHunter Greene SP — Greene (elbow) is slated to begin a rehab assignment Thursday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 60-Day-ILGraham Ashcraft RP — Ashcraft (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson SP — The Reds transferred Williamson (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
Both teams are limping into this one, which is part of why a sub-.500 NL series gets interesting. The Mets are 32-39 and just took 3 of 5 from St. Louis and Atlanta to feel slightly less awful about themselves. The Reds (33-37) sit a game up in the standings but dropped 2 of 3 to Arizona at home, including Sunday's 5-3 loss. Neither side is hot, neither side is healthy, and the team with the better pitcher tonight is going to be hard to bet against.
The wild card here is whoever follows Myers. The Mets bullpen has been hammered by injuries — Reed Garrett, Dedniel Nunez, and Clay Holmes are all on the 60-day, and Brandon Waddell is day-to-day with a shoulder issue. If Myers gives them a clean 2-plus and the bridge arms hold, the Mets can hang. If he opens the game by handing out walks, this gets ugly early in front of a Cincinnati crowd that's been waiting for a Burns home gem.
Elly De La Cruz is still on the IL (hamstring at 90% per Terry Francona), so the Reds' offense isn't quite at full song either. That gives the Mets a small opening against a Cincinnati lineup that's been streaky all year. Lay the makeshift Mets staff against the best pitching matchup advantage anyone will see on the slate tonight, though, and you can see why this number is what it is.