Florida @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( May 17, 2011 ) Florida 0, NY Mets 0

THE STORY: The New York Mets have certainly gotten to know most of their National League East rivals this season. The Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals have both hosted and visited Terry Collins' club numerous times this season. As for the Florida Marlins ... well, not so much - but that is about to change. The Marlins will visit Citi Field on Monday for a makeup game from an already abbreviated series in May. Then, they'll clash again this weekend in Miami for a three-game set before meeting in Queens to begin August. Geography aside, the teams are traveling in different directions. New York has lost four of five, while Florida has won eight of its last nine.

TV: 7:10 p.m., FSFL (Florida), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Clay Hensley (0-2, 3.60 ERA) vs. Mets LH Chris Capuano (8-8, 4.12 ERA)

Hensley is expected to be activated from the disabled list prior to this contest. Sidelined for over a month with a sprained right shoulder, the 31-year-old will make his first start since 2008 with the Marlins' rotation ravaged by injury. Hensley has recorded a 1-2 career mark versus the Mets. He worked a scoreless inning of relief on consecutive nights against New York in April.

Capuano saw his three-game winning streak come to an end on July 9. The 32-year-old yielded just two runs for his second consecutive outing, but four walks over six innings proved to be his undoing in a 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Capuano has fared well versus the Marlins, posting a 4-2 career mark.

ABOUT THE MARLINS (46-49): Jack McKeon has reason to smile. The 80-year-old interim manager has watched his team win 14 of 23 games since he took the helm. Emilio Bonifacio extended his career-high hitting streak to 16 games in Florida's 7-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Although he hasn't faced Capuano, Hanley Ramirez has - but he's not bragging about it. Ramirez is 1-for-12 with a pair of strikeouts against Capuano. Ramirez has settled in nicely in the cleanup position, collecting five homers and 24 RBIs in 23 games. On Sunday, Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a homer.

ABOUT THE METS (47-47): Philadelphia took two of three from New York for the fourth time in as many series after posting an 8-5 triumph on Sunday. Now, the Mets will face the Marlins for just the fifth time this season - the series is tied 2-2. All-Star Carlos Beltran sat out his second game with the flu. Although Scott Hairston and Willie Harris filled in admirably in his absence, Beltran is expected to return on Monday. He is just 2-for-8 in his career against Hensley. Jason Bay was booed lustily on Sunday - and for good reason. Bay went 0-for-4 and stranded five runners on base. He is mired in a 3-for-30 stretch.

FINAL PITCH: David Wright went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in his third rehab game for Class-A St. Lucie on Sunday. He is on pace to return to the lineup on Friday against the Marlins. Wright has been sidelined since he went on the 15-day disabled list May 16 with a stress fracture in his lower back.