Mets-Marlins does not usually profile as a big series, but with teams bunched together in the National League East so far this season, any divisional matchup holds heat.

The beat-up Mets (20-17) still hold first place entering the weekend three-game set in Miami, which begins Friday night. But the Marlins sit in third place, only three games back, and they just won a series in Philadelphia.

Starling Marte (.912 OPS) is on the injured list, but Jesus Aguilar (nine homers, 32 RBI) and Adam Duvall (eight homers) provide pop, and Garrett Cooper is heating up after starting slow. The Marlins have homered in 22 of their last 25 games and are averaging nearly a half-run per game (3.95) more than the Mets (3.51, tied for the lowest in baseball).

Here are five things to watch for as the Mets and Marlins play their second series of the season:

Coping without Pete

Before the series started, the Mets put Pete Alonso on the 10-day IL with a hand injury, further depleting a lineup that is already missing Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo. It’s too bad. Alonso leads the Mets with six homers and 19 RBI and the Mets could use all the slugging they can get considering all the injuries and lack of performance from expected contributors such as Francisco Lindor and James McCann. And there was evidence that Alonso’s numbers might get better, too. His average exit velocity is in the 97th percentile in MLB, according to Statcast, showing that he is hitting the ball hard. Maybe Lindor (.346 against pitchers currently on the Marlins) breaks out?

Miss you (not really)

The Mets are not slated to face the Marlins top two starters -- Trevor Rogers and Sandy Alcantara -- and that’s a very good thing. Rogers, a 23-year-old lefty, has been among the best starters in baseball this year with a 6-2 record and a 1.74 ERA. He throttled the Mets in April with 10 strikeouts over six scoreless innings. Alcantara (3.63 ERA) is a 25-year-old righty who’s been sharp in nine of his 10 starts. Instead, the Mets will face 24-year-old right-hander Jordan Holloway, who will start what should be a bullpen game for the Marlins Friday night. Holloway has been stingy as a strict reliever (10 scoreless innings), but he’s been hittable as a starter (six runs, five of them earned, over 6.2 innings in two starts). Righty Pablo López, fresh off a victory over the Dodgers in his last start, is scheduled for Saturday. Promising righty Cody Poteet should start the series finale. In his first two MLB starts, he allowed two runs over 10 innings.

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