The Mets have 67 games remaining to play to maintain or improve on their current playoff position, and the contributions of two former All-Star pitchers would be tantamount to achieving that once-unthinkable goal.
Starting pitcher Kodai Senga hasn’t pitched in the majors this season because of shoulder and triceps injuries, and closer Edwin Diaz has been up and down in his return after missing the entire 2023 season due to knee surgery.
For first-year manager Carlos Mendoza’s team, it starts here.
Senga is expected to return to the starting rotation as early as next weekend after making one more rehab appearance in the minor leagues in the coming days, and the 2023 All-Star would be quick to jump on the snake’s head.
If Senga can replicate the 2023 Rookie of the Year runner-up performance that saw him go 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 29 starts, the Mets would be adding a first-line starter to a starting rotation that went 25-11 after the first half of the season.
Diaz is nowhere near the dominant closer he was two years ago, when he posted a 1.35 ERA and an astounding 17.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
He played in 26 games this season, including one time on the disabled list and a 10-game suspension for using adhesives, but his ERA was down significantly to 4.06 and his strikeouts were down to 12.5.
The Mets (49-46) plan to switch to a six-man rotation once Senga returns, which will also allow rookie Christian Scott an extra day between starts.
Left-hander Sean Manaea, who takes the mound Friday night at Miami, has bounced back from a two-game slump at the start of June (11 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings) to post a 2.02 ERA over his past six starts and lower his overall ERA to 3.46.
That’s 12th-best among qualified National League pitchers.
The Mets announced the remainder of their starting rotation after the break, with Jose Quintana and Luis Severino starting behind Manaea against the Marlins.
That means Severino won’t be playing against his former team, the Yankees, again in the Subway Series later this week.
The bigger question for the Mets the rest of the season will be the bullpen, but Dedniel Nunez and converted starter Jose Butt have been unexpected contributors when injuries hit and will likely get playing time.
That’s also an issue team president David Stearns is looking to address ahead of the July 30 trade deadline, along with adding an outfield spot if it’s determined Starling Marte won’t return this season.
The Mets have struggled with hitting in recent weeks, but with Francisco Alvarez back from the disabled list, veteran designated hitter J.D. Martinez emerging and third baseman Mark Vientos, the lineup is significantly stronger outside of stars Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso.
Over the past 30 days, the Mets have scored the most runs in the National League, hit the most home runs (tied with Colorado) and posted the best OPS (.812).
If they continue to maintain that level offensively, a strong winning streak from both ends of the pitching staff, led by Senga and Diaz, could be the deciding factor in their postseason berth.
The Mets begin play Friday in third place in the National League wild card standings, one game behind both the Diamondbacks and Padres.
In the battle for the top two wild card spots, they are half a game behind the Cardinals and four games behind the Braves.
