Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Remember last week when I talked about how many New York Mets players were on the injured list? Unfortunately, the list has grown since Thursday, with the additions of Pete Alonso, Tommy Hunter, and Taijuan Walker. It’s hard to believe this list of players currently on the shelf is real:

It honestly feels like we’re getting punked right now, but then again, the Mets return home to Citi Field for Monday’s game with a 1.5-game lead in the National League East.

The active roster has been playing with a ton of heart and New York has won some games it had no business in winning, but that’s baseball, baby. One can only hope the Mets will get themselves close to 100% healthy in the not-too-distant future, mostly because it’s nearly impossible to project how long manager Luis Rojas‘ current cast of characters can keep New York at the top of the division.

From the looks of it, the roster will get a boost in the near future with the eventual returns of J.D. Davis and Jacob deGrom, which will be a huge help to both the lineup and pitching staff. The offense has done just enough but could use Davis’ bat, and plugging deGrom back in at the top of the rotation on Tuesday gives the starting staff certainty beyond Marcus Stroman (David Peterson has had great moments, but is still inconsistent from start to start as he keeps getting acclimated to life in the big leagues). Plus, deGrom doing what he typically does every five days will be a huge relief for a bullpen that’s been used to the max recently.

The Mets are in the midst of a long stretch of games, playing their fourth of 17 in a row on Monday night in Queens. If we look past their off day on June 7, it’ll be 19 games in 20 days, including a trip to the West Coast. This isn’t exactly a good recipe for a team as banged up as New York, but there’s still an opportunity to stay afloat (or, at least tread water) during this stretch given some of the opponents they’ll be facing.

Here’s what’s on the docket for New York through June 9:

  • Four against the Colorado Rockies (at home)
  • Three against the Atlanta Braves (at home)
  • Three against the Arizona Diamondbacks (on the road)
  • Four against the San Diego Padres (on the road)
  • Two against the Baltimore Orioles (on the road)

There are parts of this stretch that will be more difficult. The Braves are one game under .500, but we all know what they’re capable of doing. Meanwhile, the Padres are rolling (winners of nine straight with a one-game lead in the NL West and a +75 run differential), and after visiting Petco Park, the Mets will also see them at Citi Field the following weekend (June 11-13).

But, folks, look at the other matchups one more time: the Rockies, Diamondbacks, and Orioles. What do these three clubs have in common? That’s right — they’re not very good.

When looking at team winning percentages across baseball, Colorado (.383) and Arizona (.375) have the two worst in the National League, while Baltimore (.370) is tied for the worst in the American League. And although the Mets have had their struggles in the run differential department (-13 heading into Monday), they’re in a lot better shape than the three teams we’re talking about right now (-29 for Colorado, -41 for Arizona, -47 for Baltimore).

Facing the Rockies gets even better without having to think about the uncertainties that Coors Field brings to the table, and while the Braves will be no walk in the park, New York gets to do it in the comfort of Citi Field, where the squad has posted an 11-4 record thus far in 2021. They’ll also get a positive park shift for the pitching staff upon heading to Petco, as well as a positive park shift for the offense upon visiting Chase Field and Camden Yards, according to ESPN’s Park Factors.

Putting together a lineup with many players who should be on the Triple-A roster will make this stretch of games much harder than we thought it’d be back in April. However, it could’ve been a lot worse with regard to the competition New York will be facing while the roster is so short-handed. The fact that they’re still taking up residence in first place is almost unbelievable considering everything that’s happened. One would have to assume that simply treading water with a .500 record (or close to it) between now and when a number of regulars come back would be an accomplishment in itself.

Although the Mets still have to go out there and take care of business, doing so feels slightly more attainable upon seeing some of the teams they’ll be playing during the next 16 games. Finding some success will not only keep them in the thick of things in the division, but it’ll also give everyone — active players and those on the IL — confidence that they deserve to be a first-place team.

Now comes the hard part, though — actually going out there and getting the job done with less than a full deck. Even after losing two of three in Miami and finishing their road trip with a 3-6 record, they’ve done a great job with all things considered. So let’s hope any kind of momentum they’ve created previously carries over into the immediate future.