Game 66 lineups: Nats vs. Mets (Castro returns)

It's hard to make too much of a weekend series against a division rival in the middle of June. But considering the circumstances surrounding this four-game series against the Mets over the next three days, you have to put some level of importance on it if you're the Nationals.

Coming off a sweep of the Pirates, riding a four-game winning streak and having won six of their last eight games, the Nationals should feel confident facing the division-leading Mets this weekend. They also have a chance for a sweet two-for-on deal: Gain some ground in the National League East while knocking the Mets down a few pegs.

Manager Davey Martinez also gets to send his best starting pitcher to the mound tonight to hopefully get his team off on the right foot. And wouldn't you know it, that pitcher isn't Max Scherzer or Stephen Strasburg, but Erick Fedde.

Fedde is 4-4 with a 3.86 ERA on the season, but has pitched a combined 12 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts over his last two starts. (Granted, there was a lengthy COVID injured list stint in between.)

Meanwhile, Starlin Castro returns from the restricted list before tonight's game, but still remains out of the starting lineup. Castro's activation was one of many moves the Nationals announced this afternoon, including the return of Austin Voth from the injured list and Andrew Stevenson landing on the 10-day IL (retroactive to June 17) with an oblique strain.

Stay tuned for more information from Martinez in a little bit.

The Nationals might also be facing a Mets team that is bound to start laboring sooner rather than later during a brutal part of their schedule. The Mets are in the middle of a stretch of 15 games in 13 days and 33 games in 31 days to end the first half of the season. They only have one scheduled off-day between June 11 and July 11, with three doubleheaders within a week of each other starting with Saturday's twinbill.

Add a lack of Jacob deGrom this weekend, and the Nationals could be set up to end this homestand on a really high note.

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 11 mph out to left-center field

NATIONALS
LF Kyle Schwarber
SS Trea Turner
RF Juan Soto
1B Ryan Zimmerman
2B Josh Harrison
C Yan Gomes
3B Jordy Mercer
CF Victor Robles
RHP Erick Fedde

METS
3B Jonathan Villar
SS Francisco Lindor
LF Dominic Smith
1B Pete Alonso
RF Billy McKinney
2B Luis Guillorme
C Thomás Nido
CF Mason Williams
LHP Joey Lucchesi