(Sports Network) - The New York Mets expect to have Jose Reyes back in the lineup this evening when they open a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field.
Reyes has been on the disabled list since July 3 with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring. The speedster suffered the injury beating out an infield single the day before.
He played in a rehab assignment with Class-A Brooklyn on Monday and went 1- for-3 with a double. Afterwards, he was excited about his prospects for re- joining the big club.
"I expect to play [Tuesday]. Everything is good. I was able to move around in the field with no problem," Reyes said following the game.
In the final year of a contract, the 2011 All-Star is enjoying a banner season, leading the majors with a .354 batting average and 15 triples. He is also second in hits (124) and steals (30).
The Mets should also have Carlos Beltran, the team's leader with 14 homers and 59 RBI, back tonight after he missed the last three games with the flu. He was batting .344 over his last 16 games before getting sick.
The All-Star duo's return will be a welcome sight for a Mets team that has lost five of six after falling 4-1 to the Florida Marlins on Monday.
Chris Capuano (8-9) pitched a solid 7 2/3 frames, giving up four runs on seven hits while fanning five and walking two.
"I think Cappy [Capuano] pitched a good game and kept us in it," Mets manager Terry Collins said of his starter's effort. "We just couldn't get anything going offensively."
Getting the call for the Mets this evening will be right-hander Dillon Gee, who was a pleasant surprise for the team in the first half, going 8-3 with a 3.76 ERA. Gee, though, lost three of his last four starts heading into the break and was hit hard by the Los Angeles Dodgers his last time out, allowing six runs (five earned) in 5 2/3 innings.
He has never faced the Cardinals.
St. Louis also enters this series reeling a bit after losing two of three to the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend at Great American Ball Park. The Cards dropped Sunday's rubber match, 3-1, to fall for the fifth time in their last eight games.
Jaime Garcia (9-4) allowed a pair of runs over seven frames to absorb the loss.
Tonight, St. Louis will pin its hopes on righty Kyle Lohse, who has lost four of his last five decisions. Lohse had been 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA after beating Colorado on May 29, but has won just one time since and has seen his ERA jump more than a run to 3.32.
Lohse lost to Arizona in his final start before the break, surrendering seven runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. It was the fifth time in his last seven starts that he had allowed at least four runs.
In eight starts against the Mets Lohse is 2-3 with a 5.85 ERA.
This is the first of six meetings between these teams this season.