The Mets open a three-game set against the Blue Jays on Monday night at Rogers Centre in Toronto, with Sean Manaea on the mound for New York and Trey Yesavage starting for Toronto. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m., and both teams are trying to stop the slide that has pushed this game from ordinary to urgent.
That urgency is easy to see on the standings and in the recent form. The Mets arrive at 35-49 after losing eight of their last 10, while the Blue Jays are 39-45 and have dropped six straight. New York is also coming off a 5-4 loss to the Phillies on Sunday, a game in which it went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 runners, the kind of missed chance that turns one loss into a longer concern.
The focus on the Mets is not only the opponent or the standings, but who is available to help them. Francisco Lindor was given the day off Sunday as he continues to work back from a calf strain, and that leaves New York watching his status closely as the series begins. A day off can be routine, but in this case it is also part of the recovery process, which means his availability is not just about rest. It is about how quickly he can keep moving forward without the strain slowing him again.
Manaea is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season after beginning the year in the bullpen. He is 1-2 with a 4.87 ERA, and since rejoining the rotation he is 0-1 with a 4.40 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. In his last start, against the Cubs, he allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits and two walks across three innings. Yesavage comes in with a 3-3 record and a 3.56 ERA after holding the Astros to one earned run on two hits and five walks in 5⅔ innings in his most recent outing.
There is also a small piece of theater in the matchup. Bo Bichette joined the Mets after spending the first seven years of his career in Toronto, which gives the game a homecoming feel even as both teams are trying to steady themselves. For the Mets, the next few hours are about more than one start. They need a cleaner night at the plate, a healthier Lindor, and a result that keeps the trip from slipping any further.
