Friday, July 31, 2026 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
RHP Janson Junk (4-6, 4.89) vs. RHP Kodai Senga (0-7, 8.85)
WPIX

On July 8, the Marlins had 51.5% chance of making the playoffs according to FanGraphs. Their odds rose around 40% in one month. Since their 12-game losing streak, they are down to a 15.1% chance. About a month ago, they were very likely going to be buyers at the trade deadline. Now who knows where they are going to be.

The Mets have long been labeled sellers, however they have played good ball lately, winning four of their last five games. As of writing, the Mets have already made their first trade of the weekend, sending A.J. Minter to the Twins. Who knows who is going to be on the Mets by the the weekend. If they can keep playing well this weekend, they could force the Marlins into sell mode on Monday.

Freddy Peralta was originally scheduled to make likely his last start as a Met tonight. He signaled after his last outing that he didn’t think he would be starting today. That being said, the Mets didn’t pull him from today’s start until around 2:00 p.m. EST in the afternoon. Most of Friday made it seem like today was going to be his final audition before the August 3 deadline.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

  1. A.J. Ewing – LF
  2. Francisco Lindor – SS
  3. Bo Bichette – 3B
  4. Carson Benge – RF
  5. Luis Robert Jr. – CF
  6. Jared Young – 1B
  7. Brett Baty – 2B
  8. Jorge Polanco – DH
  9. Francisco Alvarez – C

Starting Pitcher: Kodai Senga

Senga will be getting the start in place of Peralta tonight. Over 12 games, Senga has tossed 40 2/3 innings with a 8.85 ERA, 6.89 FIP, 1.844 WHIP and a 47 ERA+. He has not pitched since July 18, where he allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings against the Red Sox. It’s just been an abysmal season for Senga. He is signed through 2027 and has a team option for 2028. It’s unlikely at this point the Mets would find a trade worth it at the deadline for Senga. It would be a wonderful development if the Mets could get Senga back on track before the end of this season.

The Marlins have the following career stats against him:

Opposing Lineup

  1. Liam Hicks – DH
  2. Xavier Edwards – 2B
  3. Otto Lopez – SS
  4. Kyle Stowers – 1B
  5. Griffin Conine – RF
  6. Heriberto Hernández – LF
  7. Jakob Marsee – CF
  8. Joe Mack – C
  9. Javier Sanoja – 3B

Janson Junk has made 14 starts this season totaling 73 2/3 innings with a 4.89 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 1.357 WHIP and an 83 ERA+. He has done alright in his last four starts, posting a 4.34 ERA over 18 2/3 innings. His stats through his last four are heavily impacted by a game where he allowed six runs over four innings.

The Mets have the following career stats against Junk:

  • Bo Bichette 3-4
  • Luis Robert Jr. 0-2
  • Jared Young 0-1, K

Game Notes

  • The Mets announced that they placed left-handed reliever Cionel Pérez on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 30) with a left forearm strain. They recalled right-handers Xzavion Curry and Jonathan Pintaro from Triple-A Syracuse to take both his and Minter’s spots on the 26-man roster.
  • Per The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal, the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates are among the clubs showing strong interest in Luke Weaver while the same can be said about the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies with Peralta.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Walk Francisco… Alvarez? The Dodgers, Braves and Marlins have been giving Alvarez a lot of free passes in his last five games. He has gone 3-for-12 at the plate with seven walks, good for a .526 OBP. He only has 27 walks on the season. Since July 3, Alvarez has slashed .302/.439/.491 with three home runs and 12 walks.
  2. Bichette’s Audition Weekend. Bichette’s contract would be difficult to move at the deadline, but not impossible. Over his last 11 games, he has gone 15-for-46 with two doubles, slashing .326/.360/.370. A drop in power, but a massive bump for his batting average. Since June 12, he’s been a different hitter, going .313/.349/.438 with eight doubles and four home runs over 41 games. Maybe this is enough to entice a contender.
  3. Luis Robert Jr. The center fielder trade market is thin. Robert Jr. has struggled since returning from the injured list, going 4-for-29 with two home runs and three walks (.138/.219/.345). He had a huge two-RBI night for the Mets on Thursday. He has said in interviews this week that he would rather stay here, but a good weekend may cause a team to come calling.

Let’s go Mets!