Mets' Starting Pitchers for Royals Series Announced: New York to Square Off Against Two Familiar Faces

The New York Mets are set to host the Kansas City Royals to open their final homestand of the first half, beginning on Tuesday night. It has been a disappointing first half for the Mets, to say the least, but they will be matched with an equally disappointing Royals squad. Both teams occupy the bottom of their divisions, and neither seems to have a miracle run in their back pocket.

The biggest story of the first half for the Mets, aside from their slew of injuries, has been how awful their starting pitching has been. Freddy Peralta added to the ongoing issue on Monday night in Atlanta, being chased in the fifth inning by the Braves and allowing three earned runs. It is a constant guessing game as to what the Mets will get from their starters each night, but the result is almost always bad.

With only a few weeks remaining before the trade deadline, the Mets could be a team looked to for starting pitching options. Six games remain for the Mets before the All-Star break, but it is unclear who will make two of those starts.

The fifth slot in the Mets' rotation, which still has two starts left before the break, does not currently have a settled starter. A few options exist for the Mets, and we will soon find out who gets the baseball.

Tuesday, July 7th (7:10 PM ET): Seth Lugo (3-6, 4.20 ERA) vs Likely Bullpen Game

Kansas City Royals starter Seth Lugo throws a pitch against the Texas Rangers. — Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo (67) delivers a pitch against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Royals are set to run out their best starting pitcher of the past three years, the veteran right-handed Seth Lugo. After seven seasons with the Mets, Lugo moved on to the San Diego Padres for a season, and now three with the Royals, which includes a Cy Young runner-up season in 2024.

Father Time has begun to catch up with the 36-year-old, as his ERA has jumped to 4.20, and his strikeout rate has hit its lowest mark (18.7%) of any full season of his career. Since the start of June, he has a 6.04 ERA with eight homers allowed over five starts.

The Mets have not announced a starter for their series opener against the Royals yet, but this figures to be a spot where they lean into their bullpen for length. We could see Tobias Myers get the start and pitch a few innings before giving way to the Mets' bullpen that used six relievers on Monday night.

The Mets may make a roster move before the game to get a second bulk-inning reliever on the major league roster or call up a traditional starter altogether. Of note, lefty Zach Thornton is still ineligible to be called up to New York, as it's been fewer than 10 days since he was demoted (he can only be recalled with a corresponding injury list move).

Wednesday, July 8th (7:10 PM ET): TBA vs RHP Christian Scott (2-1, 3.49 ERA)

New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott fielding a baseball and preparing to throw it. — New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) at Citi Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Royals do not have an announced starter for this game yet, but this lines up to be Stephen Kolek's spot in the rotation. The veteran righty missed a few days on the paternity list, but was reinstated and started for the Royals against the Tampa Bay Rays, which was a two-inning stint. He owns a 4.50 ERA in just ten starts, but his season highlight was a complete-game shutout against the Mariners in late May.

Christian Scott will end his productive first half with a start against this poor Royals offense, and it presents a chance for the Mets' promising righty to fix a concerning trend. The Royals are ranked in the bottom ten in home runs (91), and Scott has allowed six long balls over his last three starts. This presents a great chance for him to right his previous wrongs and end his first half on a high note. He enters this matchup with a 3.49 ERA and has been New York's most reliable starter this half.

Thursday, July 9th (1:10 PM ET): Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.45 ERA) vs LHP Sean Manaea (1-4, 5.16 ERA)

Kansas City skipper Matt Quatraro will run out a second former Met in this series, with 2026 All-Star Michael Wacha set to start the final game of this three-game series. This is his fourth team since his one-year cameo with the Mets in 2020, but it has been by far his best season since. He leads all of baseball in innings pitched (114.2) and batters faced, showcasing his durability and ability to be the Royals' workhorse. It'll be his final outing before he heads to Philadelphia to represent Kansas City.

New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea walking off the mound in a game against the Atlanta Braves. — New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) reacts against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wacha will go up against veteran lefty Sean Manaea, who has turned in a mixed bag of results in his five starts on the season. Over those starts, he owns a 5.40 ERA but has limited base runners much more effectively than as a reliever. In his four starts before giving up six earned runs to the Braves on July 4th, his ERA was 4.05, which gives hope that his roughing up in Atlanta was just a one-off against a first-place team.

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