NEW YORK With a series victory over the Orioles and a winning record during their one and a half-week stay in Queens, Jesse Winker’s walk-off home run gave the New York Mets the finest possible way to close their homestand. The Mets will now travel on their busiest road trip of the year, beginning with four games against the hottest team in the league, the San Diego Padres.
After pitching the Marlins to a shutout last week, Luis Severino will start on Thursday. The two finest openers for New York lately have been Severino and Sean Manaea, who once again produced a masterpiece on Wednesday. Before we embark on this important road journey, let us examine the rotation.
1. There’s no easy solution to Jose Quintana’s recent problems
For six weeks in the middle of the season, Quintana was excellent for the Mets, going eight starts with a 1.91 ERA.
But since August arrived, the team has gone 0–4 when Quintana, the Opening Day starter, takes the mound. Quintana has an 8.27 ERA.
For Quintana, Tuesday felt a little like hitting rock bottom. He spent most of the evening working behind schedule and committed too many errors in the midst of the strike zone. With seven runs in five frames, the Orioles offense, which is among the greatest in baseball, made him pay.
Jose Quintana, chatting with catcher Francisco Alvarez, has an 8.27 ERA since August but there are no obvious candidates to replace him in the rotation. (Stephen Brashear / Getty Images)
Carlos Mendoza promised after the game that Quintana would start his next game on Sunday in San Diego.
Quintana has pitched up to 134 innings this season, up from 75 2/3 last year, and the Mets do not believe he is worn out. His pace and other things have not changed.
Quintana, meanwhile, has the smallest error margin among the Mets staff members. His substance, his velocity, and even his command are far from exceptional. His location is also below the league average, as he is among the bottom 10 players in baseball according to Stuff+. Quintana’s formula for success is to induce weak contact, mix speeds, and hit the corners. He needs to be on top of his game and get assistance from the umpires and his defense on 50-50 calls for that to succeed.
That’s who he is at 35.
“We’ve got to make plays and we’ve got to get calls at times,” Mendoza said. “It goes a long way for him.”
The Mets’ defense was lacking behind Quintana on Tuesday; perhaps they will start Quintana in a stronger defensive lineup the following time around.
2. There’s no easy replacement for Quintana, if the Mets so choose.
As the season progresses, the Triple-A Syracuse rotation is not as good as the Mets had planned. In Triple A, Mike Vasil, Dom Hamel, and Blade Tidwell all had ERAs above five. The club is reluctant to discuss Brandon Sproat because of his lack of experience at the level.
The next man up, if the Mets were serious about replacing Quintana, would likely be Tylor Megill once more. And during his most recent trip with Syracuse, Megill has given up 10 runs in 16 2/3 innings.
3. It’s important that Christian Scott makes it all the way back this season.
The rookie right-hander could soon begin to pitch off a mound since he is currently playing catch out to 105 feet. The Mets still believe that Scott will return in September, and they see it as an important step for him before the winter.
When Scott started experiencing elbow pain, he and the Mets decided to try rest and rehabilitation, knowing that he could have Tommy John surgery this winter and still be back in time for Opening Day 2026 if things did not work out. That strategy is only effective if Scott can play big-league ball before the offseason and see how his elbow holds up. In the worst-case scenario, Scott would not know how his elbow is doing come spring training and might have to have surgery, which would have compromised part of his ’26 season.
4. Don’t rule out a return for Kodai Senga in the final week.
Senga is not allowed to play again until the last week of the season, namely on September 25, as he is now on the 60-day injury list. However, the Mets believe there is a chance the right-hander will play in those last five games against Milwaukee and Atlanta.
Senga’s lower body damage has allowed him to throw from a seated position, maintaining a relatively powerful arm. This week, he should start throwing while standing. The most significant obstacle is going to be his strained calf, which he has not tested yet.
Consider a possible Senga comeback in the same manner that you considered Edwin Díaz’s return from the previous season. For it to be worthwhile, he must precisely reach each checkpoint and the conditions must be ideal. However, it is not unfeasible.
5. The Mets will get a key bullpen piece back Thursday.
All indications suggest that Dedniel Núñez will make his big-league bullpen debut on Thursday in San Diego. Núñez might position himself ahead of Díaz in a setup role with Buttó, giving Mendoza’s bullpen a little more structure.
To create place for Núñez in the pen, the Mets will need to make another choice. Considering that he still has minor-league options and has not shown much since returning from the IL, Reed Garrett may be the odd man out. The Mets may also decide to part ways with Ryne Stanek, who has struggled with his pitches since being acquired at the trade deadline, or Adam Ottavino.
(Top photo of Jose Quintana: Stephen Brashear / Getty Images)
