Francisco Lindor. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

We just can’t have nice things. In last week’s roster projection, I implemented a replacement for José Quintana and couldn’t include Bryce Montes de Oca, both because of injury. The bullpen had long been the question mark around the final Opening Day roster, and it only becomes more complicated in the wake of Edwin Díaz’s patellar tendon tear and Sam Coonrod’s oblique strain.

Note: Just because I say a player will be in the starting lineup on Opening Day doesn’t mean I think that player will be in the starting lineup all year. For instance, I think Eduardo Escobar will start Opening Day. I don’t think he’ll start most of the season at third. I think that will be Brett Baty, who I also think will make the Opening Day roster.

Let’s get into the next version of the Opening Day roster projection.

Starting Lineup

1. Starling Marte
2. Francisco Lindor
3. Pete Alonso
4. Daniel Vogelbach
5. Jeff McNeil
6. Mark Canha
7. Eduardo Escobar
8. Tommy Pham
9. Omar Narváez

Brandon Nimmo sprained both his knee and ankle just 13 days before Opening Day. He was described as week-to-week, not day-to-day. That gives him extremely little room to heal and get ready for a full nine in the opener. I’m not confident that will happen. (He tested both injuries at Clover Park on Tuesday—an off day—and the Mets said he’s “progressing.) There’s no harm in placing him on the injured list to start the year and miss week or so to make sure he’s fully healthy the rest of the way.

Starting Rotation

10. Max Scherzer
11. Justin Verlander
12. Kodai Senga
13. Carlos Carrasco
14. David Peterson

Thankfully, no one from this list has suffered an injury over the last week. This will be the Opening Day rotation—with Peterson making the cut over Megill—barring anything catastrophic happening over the next nine days. Kodai Senga returned from his finger soreness and performed well, and Peterson continued pitching well after getting hit in the foot by a comebacker. (Peterson has give up just one hit—though seven walks—in 12 spring innings.)

Bench

15. Brett Baty
16. Tomás Nido
17. Luis Guillorme
18.Tim Locastro

If Brandon Nimmo starts the year on the injured list, Tim Locastro should earn his spot. While it wouldn’t surprise me if the Mets pushed their inevitable decision to cut Darin Ruf an extra week or so, Locastro has earned a spot on the roster with an awesome spring. He’s slashed .324/.410/.618/1.028 with a homer, triple, five doubles, and eight RBIs. He also plays center field better than Canha or Pham.

Bullpen

19. Adam Ottavino
20. David Robertson
21. Brooks Raley
22. Drew Smith
23. Stephen Nogosek
24. John Curtiss
25. Tommy Hunter
26. Jeff Brigham

Edwin Díaz is out for the year. Sam Coonrod is out for a while. They both need replacements.

Last week, I listed Jeff Brigham and Tommy Hunter as potential options if the Mets decided to cut bait with Nogosek. They should both make the Opening Day roster now. Hunter hasn’t allowed a run and allowed just three hits over six spring innings. Brigham has struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings, and his pitch repertoire is viewed favorably by advanced pitching metrics.

Nogosek hasn’t performed great, but the team doesn’t have a lot of other options right now. (Neither does Nogosek.) If the team is able to find serviceable replacements via trade or the waiver wire (see: Dennis Santana), Nogosek would likely be the first to go.

Near Misses

27. Brandon Nimmo
28. Tylor Megill
29. Francisco Álvarez

Nimmo is there solely because I think he starts the year on the IL. If not, great!

Álvarez has continued to struggle. He’s destined for Syracuse for a couple of months, as is Megill, who has been solid this spring. He’d be the first man called up in the event of another injury to the starting rotation.