Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Reds play a three-game series in Cincinnati starting on Friday at 6:40 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
The return of Francisco Alvarez
Alvarez, who last played on Aug. 17 — when he sprained the UCL in his right thumb while sliding into second base — is expected to be activated from the IL ahead of Friday's series-opener.
The backstop, who will need surgery after the season for his thumb injury, is also playing with a broken left pinky that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch last week during his rehab assignment.
Alvarez not only played through the pain during his rehab stint but excelled, blasting a grand slam for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday night.
Manager Carlos Mendoza recently said that Alvarez's throwing from behind the plate since hurting his thumb has been fine, but it will certainly be something to keep an eye on after he returns — especially if opposing teams attempt to take advantage of Alvarez's injury by running wild.
Before getting injured, Alvarez had been a force at the plate following his brief stint in the minor leagues. In 71 plate appearances over 21 games from July 21 to Aug. 17, he slashed .323/.408/.645 with four homers, six doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored. If Alvarez can pick up where he left off, he'll add even more punch to a lineup that has been running on all cylinders over the last month or so.
Jonah Tong's second big league start
Tong was strong in his major league debut last Friday at Citi Field, limiting the Marlins to one earned run over 5.0 innings while allowing six hits, walking none, and striking out six.
But it was a bit of a weird outing since there were two instances where Tong had to sit in the dugout for roughly a half hour while the Mets put a hurting on Miami. That led to a game that was a blowout in the Mets' favor early, which took a bit of the starch out of the excitement of Tong's debut.
And while he pitched well as his fastball topped out at 97.7 mph, Tong generated only seven swings and misses.
Tong relied mostly on his fastball (which he threw 59 times) and changeup (24 times), while also mixing in his curve 13 times. He threw his slider — the newest pitch in his arsenal — just once.
It will be interesting to see how Tong looks his second time out and how he deploys his pitches, especially if the game remains close.
Who gets the ball for New York on Sunday?
As the Mets wait to see if the struggling Kodai Senga will accept a minor league assignment, the rotation is in flux.
David Petersonwill start on Friday, with Tong getting the ball on Saturday, but the club hasn't yet named a starter for Sunday — which lines up as Senga's day to pitch.
But the expectation — regardless of whether or not Senga consents to go to the minors — is that Nolan McLean will toe the rubber on Sunday on regular (four days) rest.
McLean has been a revelation since making his big league debut last month, displaying some of the nastiest stuff in the league.
In four starts, the 24-year-old has a 1.37 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 26.1 innings while allowing just 13 hits and striking out 28.
The Reds are reeling while the Giants are surging
The belief about a week ago was that this series would be a huge one when it comes to who nabs one of the last two Wild Card spots in the National League.
And while the Reds could still stake their claim if they play well, they'll enter Friday's tilt trailing the Mets by 5.0 games for the third Wild Card spot. That's because Cincinnati went 3-7 over its last 10 games as the Mets went 6-4, creating some serious separation while also pulling to within 1.0 game of the Padres for the second Wild Card spot.
In the meantime, the Giants went on a 10-1 clip, pulling ahead of the Reds in the standings and clawing to within 4.0 games of the Mets.
What could be important if San Francisco continues to surge is that the Mets own the tiebreaker over them after winning four of six games during this year's season series.
Hunter Greene has been elite
Greene, who gets the start on Sunday, has a 2.70 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with 101 strikeouts in 83.1 innings over 15 starts this season.
The right-hander is coming off a strong start against the Blue Jays, where he limited Toronto to one run on five hits in 6.1 innings while walking one and striking out seven.
Since returning from a groin strain on Aug. 13, Greene has a 2.66 ERA in 23.2 innings over four starts.
Cincinnati's rotation schedule is a bit fluid due to Nick Lodolo missing his last start due to illness. Andrew Abbott and Brady Singer are currently listed as the starters for Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Juan Soto
Soto has been on an absolute heater, hitting .301/.463/.710 with 12 homers, 28 RBI, 30 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 26 games since Aug. 6.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
David Peterson
Expect Peterson to have a strong bounce back outing after his season-worst performance against the Marlins on Aug. 30.
Which Reds player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Noelvi Marte
The 23-year-old is having a breakout campaign, slashing .292/.332/.512 with 12 homers and 17 doubles in 70 games.
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