The New York Mets are set to welcome the Detroit Tigers to Queens for a three-game series starting Tuesday, offering both teams a chance to reset their early-season trajectories. The Mets (15-25) have struggled to find their footing in the NL East, particularly at Citi Field where they've posted a 6-12 record. Meanwhile, the Tigers (19-22) are looking to improve their road performance, having gone just 7-16 away from Detroit.

Tuesday's matchup features an intriguing pitching duel. The Mets will send Freddy Peralta (2-3, 3.12 ERA) to the mound, who has been a bright spot with 43 strikeouts and a solid 1.20 WHIP. The Tigers counter with Jack Flaherty (0-3, 5.56 ERA), who will be looking to turn around a tough start to the season. The Mets enter as slight favorites at -151, with the over/under set at 7.5 runs.

Both teams have shown vulnerability when allowing home runs, each holding a 7-13 record in such games. The Mets have been competitive lately, going 5-5 in their last 10 games while posting a strong 2.76 ERA and outscoring opponents by three runs. The Tigers have gone 4-6 in the same stretch, with a .226 batting average and a 3.57 ERA.

Key players to watch include Mets infielder Marcus Semien, who has six doubles and two homers, and Mark Vientos, who has been hot with three doubles and three home runs over his last 10 games. For the Tigers, Kevin McGonigle has been a doubles machine with 11, while Riley Greene is hitting .400 over his last 10 games with five doubles.

Injury reports are lengthy for both sides. The Mets are without several key contributors, including Francisco Lindor (calf), Kodai Senga (back), and Luis Robert (back). The Tigers are missing Justin Verlander (hip), Tarik Skubal (elbow), and Gleyber Torres (oblique), among others. With both teams dealing with significant absences, this series could come down to which bench steps up in the clutch.