New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte and third baseman Mark Vientos will both take a seat for Game 1 of a doubleheader on Tuesday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. DJ Stewart is in right field and is batting fifth, while Brett Baty is at third base and hitting in the eight-hole against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow. Marte should be back in the lineup for Game 2 against right-hander Gavin Stone. The two-time All-Star has stayed healthy so far in 2024 and is slashing .259/.307/.395 with six homers, 19 RBI and eight steals in 48 games. Vientos doesn't have the glove that Baty does at third base, but the 24-year-old has looked much better offensively, going 11-for-32 (.344) with three homers and six RBI with his limited opportunities. Stewart and Baty have a tough matchup on their hands in Glasnow in Game 1.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) could be back with the team within the next month and has taken batting practice the last couple of days, consistently hitting balls with exit velocities over 100 mph. Alvarez was wearing a splint and may continue to do so whenever he's activated from the injured list. The Mets may need to be mindful of how they bring Alvarez back, and they also need to be mindful of his positioning behind the plate. The young 22-year-old backstop is eager to frame pitches and steal strikes for his pitchers, but that makes him susceptible to contact on a swing. Alvarez needed surgery on his thumb and was hitting .236 (13-for-55) with a homer and eight RBI in 16 games at the time of his injury in April. Until Alvarez returns, Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido will continue to split playing time behind the dish for the Metropolitans.

Considering New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (shoulder) will need to start his throwing program from scratch, which usually requires around six weeks, it seems unlikely that he will come off the 60-day injured list to pitch for the Mets before the All-Star break in mid-July. "It's hard to put a timetable here," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "We got a pretty frustrated player here that he's not able to contribute to the team." The 31-year-old Japanese hurler has already had multiple setbacks in his recovery from a posterior right capsule strain in his shoulder and regrets the way his rehab has gone to this point. Fantasy managers that selected him spring drafts are having regrets as well, but he's still worth stashing in all league formats for a second-half return. Senga should resume playing catch on Wednesday.

On May 1, New York Mets infield prospect Luisangel Acuna was hitting .216, but now he's sitting at .254 after working with minor-league coaches J.P. Arencibia and Collin Hetzler to tighten his swing and lower his leg kick. They also wanted Acuna to stay back more instead of trying to go out and get pitches. The adjustments have worked, as Acuna is racking up more hits and hitting more balls in the air to left field. The brother of Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., is currently on the Mets' 40-man roster. He's split playing time this year at Triple-A Syracuse at shortstop, second base and center field and has played all three positions well, according to evaluators. In his last 20 games for Syracuse, the 22-year-old is hitting .303 with eight stolen bases. Acuna is the team's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and could make his big-league debut later this year if the Mets fall further out of contention.

New York Mets relief pitcher Drew Smith (shoulder) expects to make two more rehab outings on Wednesday and Friday for Triple-A Syracuse. It puts Smith on track to return from the injured list on Saturday or Sunday during the upcoming weekend series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks as he enters the final stages of his recovery from soreness in his right shoulder. The hard-throwing 30-year-old right-hander has been limited to 10 innings out of New York's bullpen this season, and while he owns a strong 2.70 ERA, Smith's 1.70 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB isn't the most encouraging combination. Although he'll be a welcome addition to a Mets bullpen with a scuffling Edwin Diaz, Smith doesn't project for much fantasy relevance for the remainder of the campaign outside of leagues that count holds.