Rays vs. Mets Thursday MLB injury report, odds: Yandy Diaz, Wander Franco out of Tampa Bay lineup for matinee series finale

Sometimes, all it takes is one unlikely victory for an MLB team to break out of its doldrums. That's what we might be looking at with the shambolic New York Mets, the team with the highest payroll in the majors and is currently winless in seven straight series and two games under .500. The Mets shocked the MLB-best Rays on Wednesday and try for the series win Thursday afternoon. Tampa Bay is a short favorite at Caesars Sportsbook despite two of its best hitters, Yandy Diaz and Wander Franco, being out of the lineup.

The Mets trailed the Rays 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh, 5-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, and 7-5 entering the bottom of the 10th, but won 8-7. The victory came courtesy of homers from rookies Mark Vientos (to tie it 2-2 and in his first game since being called up from the minors) and Francisco Alvarez (to tie it 5-5), as well as All-Star Pete Alonso (to win it), who was so excited afterward he dropped an F-bomb during the live post-game interview on the field.

Alvarez, who is not in today's starting lineup, became the fourth Met ever to hit a game-tying three-run home run when down to the last out. Vientos is also sitting today as is Starling Marte. This type of thing happens a lot on Thursdays. 

In the Expansion Era, which is since 1961, the Mets became just the second team to win with a game-tying homer in the ninth and then a walk-off HR in extra innings when they were trailing by multiple runs each time. The other team do to it? The 2016 Mets.

Thursday is the end of a long road trip for the Rays, and that's often a spot in which a manager might rest a key player. That's the case for Franco, who is hitting .288 with seven homers, 23 RBI and 14 steals. He was 0-for-3 Wednesday but walked twice. Diaz hasn't played in the series with a groin injury but had hoped to return today. Both he and Franco may pinch-hit if needed. Diaz is batting .321 with 10 homers and 24 RBI with a stellar 1.021 OPS.

It's rookie right-hander Taj Bradley (3-0, 3.52 ERA) on the mound for Tampa. He struggled after his demotion to Triple-A late last month, but had pitched well in the Show before being sent down. Bradley has never faced the Mets.

New York goes with Tylor Megill (4-2, 4.02 ERA). Megill is holding opposing batters to a .158 average with runners in scoring position, the fourth-best mark in the NL and the seventh-best mark in the majors. He has never faced the Rays but is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in four career starts vs. AL opponents.

MLB pick: Mets at +1.5 (-160)

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