There's also a small Schlittler wrinkle worth flagging: Aaron Boone admitted after the righty's last start that he was still sore and could miss his next turn. He's on the card here for now, but if you wake up Friday and see a bullpen game, don't be shocked. Either way, the Yankees' rotation is held together with rehab updates — Gerrit Cole's still in Somerset, Clarke Schmidt's throwing bullpens, and Fried just got tagged.
- Day-To-DayBen Hess (SP) — Hess (undisclosed) pitched 1.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out one batter with Double-A Somerset on Thursday, Matt Kardos of Double-A Somerset's official site reports.05/14
- Day-To-DayMax Fried (SP) — Fried (4-2) took the loss Friday against the Brewers, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts across six innings.05/13
- Day-To-DayTravis MacGregor (SP) — MacGregor underwent Tommy John surgery last September and will miss the entire 2019 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILGiancarlo Stanton (DH) — Stanton has not yet been cleared to ramp up his running after an MRI on his injured right calf did not show enough healing, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.05/13
- 10-Day-ILJasson Dominguez (LF) — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Dominguez recently received a PRP injection in his injured left shoulder and is likely a few weeks away from returning, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.05/13
- 10-Day-ILJose Caballero (SS) — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Caballero (finger) is expected to reclaim the team's starting shortstop job when he returns from the injured list, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.05/13
- 15-Day-ILGerrit Cole (SP) — Cole (elbow) completed five innings in his rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Sunday, allowing two earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out eight batters.05/11
- 15-Day-ILAngel Chivilli (RP) — Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Chivilli (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for roughly three weeks, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILClarke Schmidt (SP) — Schmidt (elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayGrae Kessinger (3B) — no05/13
- Day-To-DayJoe Jacques (RP) — The Mets signed Jacques to a minor-league contract Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayKevin Herget (RP) — Herget signed a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training with the Mets on Thursday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayNick Burdi (RP) — The Red Sox reinstated Burdi (hip) from the injured list Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester.05/08
- Day-To-DayJose Rojas (3B) — Triple-A Salt Lake placed Rojas on its COVID-19 injured list Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILFrancisco Alvarez (C) — Alvarez is expected to be sidelined eight weeks after undergoing right meniscus surgery Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/14
- 10-Day-ILFrancisco Lindor (SS) — Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday that an MRI on Lindor's left calf showed healing, but there remains no timetable for the shortstop's return, Steve Gelbs of SNY reports.05/14
- 10-Day-ILJared Young (1B) — Young (knee) will begin a rehab assignment by the end of this week, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/13
- 10-Day-ILLuis Robert Jr. (CF) — Mets manger Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that Robert (back) is still experiencing lingering symptoms and "is not progressing the way we would like," Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/12
- 10-Day-ILJorge Polanco (1B) — Polanco's bruised right wrist has recovered nicely, but he's dealing with a flareup of the bursitis in his left Achilles, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.05/10
- 10-Day-ILRonny Mauricio (SS) — The Mets placed Mauricio (thumb) on the 10-day injured list Sunday.05/08
- 15-Day-ILA.J. Minter (RP) — Minter (hip/lat) is expected to resume a rehab assignment this weekend, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/12
- 15-Day-ILKodai Senga (SP) — Senga (back) completed a bullpen session Sunday, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.05/10
- OutMike Tauchman (RF) — Tauchman (knee) is still rehabbing at the Mets' spring training complex and has yet to resume baseball activities, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.05/11
- OutRobert Stock (RP) — Stock (shoulder) said Sunday that he'll require surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome and could be sidelined for the remainder of the season, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILReed Garrett (RP) — The Mets placed Garrett (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILDedniel Nunez (RP) — The Mets placed Nunez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJustin Hagenman (RP) — The Mets placed Hagenman on the 60-day injured list Saturday due to a rib fracture.05/08
- 60-Day-ILTylor Megill (SP) — The Mets placed Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/08
And the lineups are no prettier. The Mets are playing without Francisco Lindor (calf), Francisco Alvarez (just had meniscus surgery, 8 weeks out), Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, and basically half the bullpen. The Yankees are missing Giancarlo Stanton, Jasson Dominguez, and Jose Caballero. Both managers are filling out cards with duct tape. Juan Soto, of course, is not on either of those lists — he's just here, in orange and blue, with a $765 million deal and an old rivalry to renew.
The market reflects how loud Schlittler's ERA has been. Yankees are -148 on the moneyline, Mets +136, with a total of 7 — which feels generous if both starters do anything close to what they've done all year. Two top-3 ERAs in the same game usually points one direction.
Pick your storyline: Soto's return to the rivalry, Schlittler's coronation, Holmes outpitching his old club, or the Mets finally landing a punch on someone wearing pinstripes. First pitch is 6:15 PM. The trains run both ways.