NEW YORK — The New York Mets enter the weekend two games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wild-card spot in the National League. Though New York’s focus is on getting to the postseason, it’s also plotting for what its roster could look like in a three-game matchup, most likely against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Everything is on the table,” manager Carlos Mendoza said pregame Friday.

From conversations inside the organization, here’s what The Athletic is hearing about the Mets’ pitching plans for next week and beyond.

Expect creativity

An off day Monday provides the Mets the luxury of setting up their rotation for a potential Wild Card Series a week early. Specifically, New York can move Nolan McLean up a day to pitch on regular rest Thursday in Chicago, pushing Brandon Sproat back to Friday in Miami. That would leave McLean in position to start Game 1 or Game 2 of a Wild Card Series.

In general, the Mets see some value in having your best starter throw Game 2 of a three-game series. That way, you have your ace to either clinch a series win or stave off elimination. And make no mistake: The Mets view McLean as their best starter. (This year, because there’s an extra off day between games 1 and 2 of the NL Division Series, there’s no penalty for saving your ace for Game 2 of the Wild Card Series; he can still start on regular rest in games 2 and 5 of the NLDS should you advance.)

With this specific team, though, the best play might be McLean in Game 1, given he’s the only sure starter for the Mets in a playoff series. Sproat and Jonah Tong have put themselves in the conversation for starts, and New York liked how the tandem of Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea worked Tuesday against the San Diego Padres. Provided Manaea was able to stay on routine while on paternity leave this week, that tandem will work again Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

Outside of McLean, be prepared for creativity. Even in a three-game Wild Card Series, the Mets would likely carry six starting pitchers, using the other five in hybrid roles, similar to how they deployed David Peterson last October.

How weird could it get? You could see three starters appear in the same game, each responsible for getting through a lineup once. You could see the Mets use Holmes or Manaea as an opener, pulling them after an inning and turning it over to the other to take advantage of a team that likes to platoon. (The Dodgers, for instance, platoon at third base with Max Muncy and Enrique Hernández and in left field with Michael Conforto and Alex Call.)

President of baseball operations David Stearns has shown that kind of imagination before: In Game 5 of the 2018 NL Championship Series, his Milwaukee Brewers started southpaw Wade Miley against the Dodgers and pulled him after a single batter, replacing him with right-hander Brandon Woodruff. (The three-batter rule was not in effect then.) Milwaukee lost that game, albeit largely because it was facing Clayton Kershaw.

Senga on the outside

After a poor outing for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday night, Kodai Senga is going to face hitters in some capacity before being activated to the majors. How he’ll face them? Well, that’s the challenge this time of year.

Kodai Senga is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings with Triple-A Syracuse. (Rafael Suanes / Imagn Images)

Syracuse has three games left in its regular season; it can make the postseason if it makes up a three-game deficit to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in that time. Double-A Binghamton is in the Eastern League championship series, with games on Sunday, Tuesday and, if necessary, Wednesday. Otherwise, Senga would be looking at a live batting practice or simulated game against minor-league hitters. Because he was demoted to the minors, he can’t participate in that kind of activity with the major-league roster.

All of this furthers what I wrote Friday morning: It’s hard right now to envision Senga having a role in October should the Mets advance that far.

More help from the minors?

The Mets have reaped the benefits of calling up McLean, Tong and Sproat to save their rotation. There’s one more arm in Syracuse who could help them this season: reliever Dylan Ross.

A 13th-round pick in 2022, Ross has flown onto the major-league radar by striking out more than 35 percent of opposing hitters this season across three levels. In 27 games at Triple A, he owns a 1.74 ERA and an absurd .110 opponents’ batting average.

The issue for Ross is control. He has yielded more walks this season than hits, issuing a free pass to more than 14 percent of hitters. Among big-league relievers, only the Toronto Blue Jays’ Brendon Little has walked batters more often this season than Ross has in the minors. And Ross’ walk rate with Syracuse is over 17 percent.

Still, with Ryan Helsley struggling and Reed Garrett out, the Mets are searching for right-handed help. Ross probably would have been recalled to the majors by now if not for a blister issue he’s working through. If he can mend that blister soon enough, Ross could be promoted next week for a quick look in the regular season. The Mets would be willing to carry him on the postseason roster even with such a limited big-league look. Remember, they had Max Kranick on the roster for the Wild Card Series last October even though Kranick had not appeared in a major-league game in more than two years.

Rough injury news

Tylor Megill is likely headed for Tommy John surgery, which would knock him out of the 2026 season. Megill is receiving additional opinions before finalizing his decision.

While a team source said Garrett has received a recommendation for Tommy John surgery, Mendoza said Saturday that the team is still waiting for a final decision.

“We know that he has a ligament strain there, but there are a couple of options that have been recommended,” Mendoza said.

“We are still waiting for a couple of other doctors to review it and give us more information.”

The reliever was already slated for offseason surgery to move a nerve in his throwing arm, which carries a four-month recovery timetable. The other option is to receive an injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) after undergoing surgery on the nerve, then seeing how his elbow feels next spring before deciding if ligament surgery is necessary. That choice, though, would imperil a chunk of the 2027 season, as well.

(Top photo of Nolan McLean: Hunter Martin / Getty Images)