The New York Mets head into their series against the Tampa Bay Rays looking to shake off a disappointing 6-3 loss to the Houston Astros.
Managerial decisions before Monday’s opener include a notable adjustment in the batting order, with infielder Bo Bichette sliding up one spot after hitting third in the previous game. He will now bat second, while Carson Benge occupies the third position.
Francisco Lindor remains at the top of the order and will play shortstop. Bichette follows him and is listed at third base. Benge starts in right field, Mark Vientos serves as the designated hitter, and J. Young is at first base. Christopher Morel is in left field, Marcus Semien at second base, A. Ewing in center field, and Francisco Alvarez behind the plate.
The configuration keeps several familiar names in the middle of the lineup while giving Bichette an earlier look at opposing pitching.
Bichette contributed immediately after the Astros defeat, going 2-for-3 at the plate. That outing continued a stretch in which he has shown more consistent contact as the season has progressed.
Through 135 games, he has collected 14 home runs, 22 doubles, 66 RBI and a .263 batting average. Those numbers reflect a player who has settled into a productive role after joining the Mets, even if power production has been modest by his earlier career standards.
Moving Bichette up one slot is a modest but deliberate change. It places him between Lindor and Benge, two hitters who can work counts and put the ball in play.
If Bichette continues to find the barrel as he did against Houston, the Mets could generate more early-inning traffic and force Rays pitchers to work from the stretch sooner. The Rays, meanwhile, will try to exploit any rust or timing issues that sometimes accompany a lineup shuffle.
The series arrives at a point when the Mets need to regain momentum. A single-game loss to Houston is not catastrophic, but it underscored the need for better execution with runners on base and more consistent production from the middle of the order. Bichette’s recent form offers a reason for optimism.
Whether the new spot in the order accelerates that trend or simply maintains it will be one of the first storylines to watch when the clubs take the field.
How the Mets deploy their infield and outfield over the coming days will also matter. Bichette at third base, Semien at second and Lindor at shortstop gives New York a veteran defensive core up the middle.
Combined with Alvarez’s presence behind the plate, the alignment is built to limit extra-base hits and keep games close.
If the bats respond to the small tweak at the top of the order, the Mets will have a chance to start the series on a more encouraging note than the one they finished against Houston.
