Mets blast into NL’s top wild-card spot. Is more help on the way?

NEW YORK — As yet another ball was launched into the summer night Friday, the crowd at Citi Field was ecstatic. Francisco Alvarez’s solo shot capped a seven-run explosion in the third inning off Charlie Morton, sending the Mets on their way to an 8-4 win over Atlanta.

Alvarez’s blast was the third of the inning, following J.D. Martinez’s go-ahead grand slam and a two-run shot from Mark Vientos.

New York’s fifth straight victory lifted it past its rivals into second place in the National League East and into the top wild-card spot in the National League.

The turnaround has been as swift as Morton’s undoing Friday. New York trailed Atlanta by 10 games in the standings on June 2, just 54 days earlier. Even when Atlanta chased the Mets down from a 10 1/2-game deficit in 2022, it took 99 days to complete the comeback.

“A couple months ago we were down in the dumps,” said Vientos. “Different picture now.”

ATL 4
NYM 8
Final

The Mets mashed three homers and Kodai Senga was dominant — until he was hurt. Ten games behind Atlanta 54 days ago, the Mets pass them for the top wild card spot.

The Mets are 55-48.

— Tim Britton (@TimBritton) July 27, 2024

For the fan base, back-to-back wins over Atlanta in black uniforms haven’t felt this good since mid-October 1999.

The victory was not the entire story at Citi Field on a Friday that included Kodai Senga’s return from and likely return to the injured list as well as another trade for a reliever.

Here’s where it all leaves the Mets with four days to go ahead of the trade deadline:

Senga’s injury complicates the rotation picture

With Senga dealing with an injury, league sources expect the Mets to explore the starting pitcher market.

Senga’s first start of the season was shaping up to be a gem when he collapsed to the turf in the sixth inning, felled by a strained left calf. He’ll undergo an MRI on Saturday and will all but certainly head right back to the injured list.

Before Senga went down, the Mets felt comfortable with their in-house options for the rotation over the final two months, people familiar with the club’s thinking said. That meant trusting Tylor Megill, who is stepping into the injured Christian Scott’s spot in the rotation Saturday. Though the Mets would default to a six-man rotation with Senga, they wouldn’t need a sixth starter after Saturday until later in August. Also, before Friday’s game, the Mets hadn’t discussed José Buttó — who has a 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings as a reliever — returning to the rotation.

However, losing Senga should change things, especially if it’s on the longer end of the potential timeline. Rival evaluators already harbored doubts about the rotation’s ability to continue to absorb volume. Senga ended a streak of five Mets starters failing to record an out in the sixth inning.

“I feel good with what we have,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’ve gotten to this point with the guys we have in the room.”

“It’s obviously a big piece, losing him,” Martinez said. “Everyone’s just kind of next guy up. Let’s just keep rolling.”

Still, Senga showed Friday what the Mets had been missing all season. In his first start of the year, he tallied the third-most strikeouts (nine) of any starter this season for the club. His ability to miss bats is unrivaled in New York’s rotation.

In one way, the Mets don’t have to replace Senga: They had moved to a six-man rotation to accommodate the right-hander, and now they’ll just shift back to a five-man in his absence. They don’t need to call up another starter to take his place.

The hunt for an extra bat

New York has checked in on left-handed batters, including San Francisco Giants outfielder and former Met Michael Conforto, league sources confirmed. The New York Post first reported that the Mets had spoken to the Giants about Conforto. The Athletic previously reported Conforto is likely to be dealt. He would be owed the $5.9 million of his prorated salary. In theory, if a club takes on that salary, they may be able to limit the prospect cost.

During the game, the Mets announced the acquisition of right-handed reliever Ryne Stanek from the Mariners for Triple-A outfielder Rhylan Thomas.

A power arm with big-game experience, Stanek provides much-needed depth to a bullpen still struggling with injuries. The Mets placed emerging setup man Dedniel Núñez on the 15-day IL earlier Friday, retroactive to July 24, with a right pronator strain. Mendoza said Núñez’s stay on the injured list should be short, however, and described the injury as a “minor strain.”

Right-hander Reed Garrett, another late-inning option like Núñez, is also on the injured list. Garrett said he threw 10 pitches off a mound Friday and expects to throw a full bullpen session Sunday. The Mets also expect right-hander Sean Reid-Foley back from the injured list soon. Reid-Foley could begin a rehab assignment as soon as Sunday.

New York’s bullpen hierarchy has flipped as the season has gone on, with veterans like Adam Ottavino and Jake Diekman struggling and less experienced arms like Núñez, Garrett and José Buttó taking on larger roles. There’s an adjustment period, and the Mets are trying to avoid overworking those pitchers in stressful spots. They believe that workload contributed to Garrett’s regression and injury, and they’re hopeful he can return and look more like his April self soon. Stanek can take some of the strain off those pitchers by providing another solid option for Mendoza.

(Photo of J.D. Martinez: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)