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The Mets are going to have a nice weekend. In addition to entering Friday leading the race for the National League's second wild-card team, the Mets have the added benefit of watching as the two teams closest to them in the standings -- the Giants, who are a game up; and the Cardinals, who are a game back -- spend the weekend facing each other, gifting them a chance to gain ground one way or another.

But that's not the only good news going the Mets' way -- turns out, Jacob deGrom will rejoin the rotation on Sunday, the team announced.

The Mets had previously expected deGrom to rejoin the team in a relief capacity.

In addition to getting one of their best pitchers back in the fold, the Mets will also welcome back first baseman Lucas Duda in the coming days, manager Terry Collins said.

DeGrom hasn't pitched since September 1 due to a sore forearm. He'll return to the rotation boasting a 3.04 ERA and 3.97 strikeout-to-walk ratio -- though he hasn't notched a quality start in more than a month.

We previously noted that it's unclear how much deGrom will offer the Mets -- he hasn't had sufficient time to ramp up his pitch count, after all. But if you're New York, why not roll the dice? Rafael Montero hasn't provided any reason to think he's a superior option -- even to a pitch count-limited deGrom. The Mets seem to have reached the same conclusion.

As for Duda, he hasn't played since May 20 due to a stress fracture in his lower back. With James Loney and Jay Bruce both struggling, Duda's left-handed pop could come in handy off the bench. Of course, we'll have to wait and see if he can get into game shape in time for October.

Oh, and the Mets will also welcome back outfielder Juan Lagares. He hasn't appeared in a game since late July. Expect to see him check in as a defensive sub.

So yeah, it's a good time to be associated with the Mets -- or with the disabled list, evidently.