There’s a saying in baseball that playing time seems to work itself out. That sure is true in Queens at the moment.

Kodai Senga is expected to be placed on the injured list with a right hamstring strain this weekend, which opens up a spot for one of the two pitchers set to return to the rotation at the end of the month, right-hander Frankie Montas and left-hander Sean Manaea.

The Mets are insulated, though losing a pitcher with a 1.47 ERA is a huge blow.

The club was starting to discuss how they would configure the rotation with the returns of Montas and Manaea. Currently, the Mets’ own the best ERA in baseball (2.80) and the starting staff (2.79) has been crucial in getting them to the top of the NL East standings. There isn’t one clear-cut candidate for a demotion and with six starters, Paul Blackburn has been pitching out of the bullpen without any room in the rotation.

Tylor Megill is the only starting pitcher with minor league options, so he could be the odd man out once both of them return. For now, Blackburn can take Senga’s next turn through the rotation, or the Mets can call up a pitcher from Triple-A Syracuse while the right-hander gets back on a starter’s schedule.

“It’s too soon,” manager Carlos Mendoza said following the Mets’ 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals. “We’ll see if we have to use him out of the bullpen in the next series, and then we’ll go from there.”

This does not change the timeline for Montas or Manaea. Montas will make another rehab start Friday with Triple-A Syracuse, and with subpar results so far, the Mets could opt for him to make another one after that.

Manaea is further behind, making a start with High-A Brooklyn on Sunday.

“I think the decision with Montas is what’s best for Montas,” Mendoza said. “We’re not going to rush because of what happened today. If he needs another one, we’ll give him another one. So the goal here is for him to be ready to go 100% and whenever he’s at that level, we’ll make the decision.”

Montas suffered a lat strain during the first week of spring training, so he’s currently going through the equivalent of a spring training progression. Manaea was a little ahead of him in spring before he strained his right oblique, and suffered a setback with the injury early in the regular season. The two former Oakland A’s teammates and close friends have yet to pitch in the big leagues in 2025.

In four rehab starts between High-A and Triple-A, Montas is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 12 innings, while Manaea has a 6.23 ERA in two starts at High-A in only 4 1/3 innings of work.

METS HOLD PRIDE NIGHT

With June being Pride Month, the Mets are holding their annual Pride Night celebration Friday, when they start a series at Citi Field against the Tampa Bay Rays. A controversial night in baseball, the Mets don’t see it that way. The club is using Pride to celebrate LGBTQ+ in New York and elsewhere in an effort to continue making baseball a more inclusive space for members of the community and allies of the community.

The events kick off with a free pregame party at the K Korner, beginning at 5 p.m. Jan Sport, from Season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars, will host, and DJ Mack Mackey will be providing the music. Mr. and Mrs. Met and the Queens Crew will also be in attendance.

The first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a Pride tank top, and special guests include interior designer and “Queer Eye” star Jeremiah Brent, Tony Award winner Alex Newell and Peloton’s producer of music supervision and programing DJ John Michael, who will be the night’s guest DJ.

The late Billy Bean will be honored with a pregame tribute video. The former outfielder and executive who was MLB’s first-ever ambassador for inclusion passed away August 6, 2024, after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

Tickets purchased through partner NYC Pride include a limited-edition Pride fanny pack and $15 of concession stand credit. A portion of the proceeds from each ticket purchased through the NYC Pride partnership will be donated directly to the organization’s initiatives.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Jeff McNeil was removed from the game Thursday following the sixth inning, but there is no concern for injury. The second baseman/outfielder was hit by a pitch in the third inning and was attended to by trainers, but ultimately stayed in the game. The Mets wanted to use Luisangel Acuña for defensive purposes.

McNeil went 1-for-2 with a three-run homer, his fourth in five games and his seventh of the season, five shy of matching his 2024 total.