The Mets will play meaningful games in the final week of the season — they just won’t be meaningful for the Mets.
Buck Showalter’s eliminated group finds itself in the middle of a heated NL wild-card chase and will repeat two series with contenders from last week.
First they will host the Marlins, from whom the Mets took a significant series last week in Miami, before closing the season with three games at Citi Field against the Phillies, who just swept the Mets and own the first wild-card spot.
The Marlins (81-75) are one game back of the Cubs (82-74) and Diamondbacks (82-74) for the final NL playoff spot.
Miami rebounded from losing two of three to the Mets by taking two of three from the Brewers.
The Mets could continue to play spoiler and knock out David Robertson’s club, whose rotation has fallen apart.
Reigning Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara is out for the season with a right UCL sprain, and 20-year-old phenom Eury Perez joined Alcantara on the IL on Saturday with left SI joint inflammation.
The Marlins will throw Braxton Garrett on Tuesday and Jesus Luzardo on Thursday against the Mets but have not announced Wednesday’s starter.
The Mets will answer with Joey Lucchesi, Kodai Senga and David Peterson, respectively.
Further hurting the Marlins’ playoff hopes is one more significant injury.
Luis Arraez and his .353 batting average are in jeopardy after slipping on the dugout steps Saturday — when the loanDepot park lights were turned off for the entrance of closer Tanner Scott — and aggravated an ankle injury.
The infielder did not play in Sunday’s win over Milwaukee.
The Marlins have not reached the postseason following a full, 162-game season since 2003, when they won the World Series.
The Mets — who have won 7 of 10 head-to-head matchups this season — will aim to keep that streak going.
With six games to go, Francisco Lindor has 27 home runs and 30 steals.
Just three players in Mets franchise history have gone 30-30: David Wright (2007), Howard Johnson (1991, 1989, 1987) and Darryl Strawberry (1987).
Showalter on Anthony Kay, who made a successful 2023 debut with the Mets — throwing 1 ²/₃ scoreless innings during Sunday’s loss in Philadelphia — in his latest attempt to stick with the organization:
“Threw it over, attacked people,” Showalter said of the lefty Kay, who was a first-round pick of the Mets in 2016 and traded three years later to the Blue Jays in the Marcus Stroman deal. “Can see why he was and is well-thought of. He’s an interesting option. I know [lefty Brooks] Raley’s happy to see him.”
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