The Mets face challenges heading into a 13-game stretch without off days, further complicated by injuries to key pitchers Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Paul Blackburn. Blackburn, who was poised to step into the rotation, is sidelined with a sore knee, while Manaea and Montas are expected to be out for the foreseeable future. This situation places increased pressure on the Mets' bullpen, which has performed admirably thus far with a 1.70 ERA but now must sustain that level of excellence during a demanding schedule.

Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza is counting on starters like Griffin Canning, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga to pitch deeper into games, a necessity as they battle through back-to-back series against the Athletics and other competitive teams. The trio isn't known for long outings, raising questions about how to maintain pitching efficiency, especially with the hitter-friendly environment of Sutter Health Park. The potential for early deficits could put the Mets' bullpen in a tough spot moving forward.