The Mets are considering whether to put Asdrubal Cabrera at second base in order to keep Jose Reyes at shortstop, Terry Collins said Thursday, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

Cabrera injured his thumb in early June and is expected to return from the disabled list this weekend, Sandy Alderson said earlier this week.

In a rehab game Wednesday with Single-A St. Lucie, Cabrera had one hit, but did not play the field.

These last four days in Los Angeles have to rank among the worst four-day stretches in Mets history, at least in terms of playing baseball, getting beaten up, losing, and crushing everyone's hopes and dreams for a season as early as June.

The fact is, things already seemed bleak when they were just six games under .500, 10 back of the Nationals and 11 games back of the Wild Card, as the Mets were on Monday before starting their series against the Dodgers. 

However, after watching them get stomped on in Los Angeles, being outscored 36-11, having more players end up on the disabled list, and dropping to 10 games under .500, 12 back of Washington and 14 games away from a Wild Card, any shot at a successful season now feels impossible. And that sucks... It really does, because I still feel like this season never actually started.

In only his third start of the season, LHP Steven Matz surrendered a career-high five walks Thursday night as the Dodgers completed a four-game sweep of the Mets.

Matz, who started the season on the disabled list, pitched six innings and allowed three runs and three hits, two of which were home runs, while striking out eight batters.

"There's a lot of nights I've been to Dodger Stadium where the ball doesn't fly. And it flew out of here this series like nothing," Mets manager Terry Collins said after the game.

The Mets have lost seven of their last eight games to fall 10 games below .500 (31-41).

They are closer to last place than first place in the NL East and 13 games back of the Wild Card with 32 games to play before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline...

For a full box score of the game, click here.

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Joc Pederson's solo home run of Paul Sewald in the seventh snapped a 3-3 tie and propelled the Dodgers to a four-game sweep of the Mets. It's the fifth time New York has been swept this season.

2) Steven Matz allowed three runs on three hits -- two home runs -- and a career-high five walks over six innings. The left-hander struck out a season-best eight in his third start of the season.

The Mets (31-40) play the final game of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers (47-26) at Dodger Stadium on Thursday at 10:10 p.m. on SNY. 

The Dodgers beat the Mets, 8-2, Wednesday as New York suffered their third straight loss. Curtis Granderson provided the offense, going 3-for-5 with a homer, double and two RBI.

Who is starting tonight for the Mets? 

LHP Steven Matz (3.21 ERA/ 5.27 FIP, 1.00 WHIP) who lost in his last outing against the Nationals. He allowed four runs on eight hits, including three homers in seven innings. It was Matz second start since returning from the DL earlier this month. 

The Mets have called up RHP Chasen Bradford and optioned Tyler Pill to Triple-A Las Vegas ahead of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bradford, who has yet to make his big-league debut, is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 29 games for Las Vegas this season. He has appeared entirely in relief, and has led the team in Las Vegas with nine saves.

Pill struggled in his outing against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing five runs in six innings. In 18 innings for the Mets this season -- including four starts -- Pill is 0-3 with a 5.00 ERA.

In this week's Meet the MetsCast, MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone, comedian Steve Hofstetter and SiriusXM's Rob Brender answer questions about the rest of this season, including...

• Will Terry Collins be let go before the start of 2018?
• Is Sandy Alderson returning after this season?
• When should the Mets call up Rosario and Smith?
• Is anyone on this team worth trading?
• Why did the Mets give up on Justin Turner?
• If you were a free agent, would you sign with the Mets?

To listen to the show, click play below or use this link to download...

Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig hit a home run against the Mets during the fourth inning Wednesday, after which he stood at home plate admiring his work before taking 32 seconds to round the bases.

As he rounded first base, Wilmer Flores told Puig to run, not jog, at which point Puig slowed up, looked back, and cursed at Flores, creating a visual tension on field.

This morning on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio, co-hosts and former GMs Steve Phillips and Jim Bowden discussed their failed trade from July 2000, that would have sent Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin to the Mets.

According to Phillips and Bowden, who was GM of the Reds at the time, the deal would have sent then-elite OF prospect Alex Escobar to Cincinnati with Larkin joining the Mets, who would eventually play the Yankees in the World Series a few months later.

"It was very close, and it would have gotten done," Phillips said, noting that Larkin first had to agree to waive his complete no-trade clause.

The Mets have been hurt by injuries up and down the lineup, and by consistent ineptitude in the field, but the more significant culprit is clearly their pitching.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Even with an injury-plagued rotation, the 2016 Mets surpassed expectations and ranked as one of the top staffs in the league. With nearly all of last year's successful hurlers returning (Bartolo Colon, who is struggling mightily in Atlanta this year, being the lone exception), reasonable projections anticipated similar results, even if not quite up to 2016's exceptional standards.

Instead, Mets fans have watched nothing short of an unmitigated disaster unfold in the rotation, one start at a time...

The Mets have signed four more draft picks from the 2017 First-Year Player Draft on Thursday:16th-round pick OF Raphael Gladu from Louisiana Tech, 20th-round pick RHP Yadiel Flores from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, 33rd-round pick RHP MacLeod Lozer from the University of Michigan, and 37th-round pick LHP Joshua Walker from the University of New Haven.  

The Mets signed 2nd round pick, SS Mark Vientos, on Tuesday.

They signed RHP Tony Dibrell from Kennesaw State and eighth-round pick RHP Trey Cobb from Oklahoma State on Sunday, along with the following players...

• Sixth-round pick RHP Marcel Renteria from New Mexico State
• Seventh-round pick RHP Connor O'Neil from Cal State Northridge

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Wednesday that pitching coach Dan Warthen is not in danger of losing his job.

The Mets enter play Thursday with the second-worst ERA in the National League.

"He's part of the solution," Alderson told reporters at Dodgers Stadium. "He's part of the group of people, including the pitchers, as well as the coaching staff, who are trying to figure out how to get this staff back to where we expected it to be."

The Mets, who have lost seven of their last nine games, are 13 back in the Wild Card race, 11 games behind the Nationals, and nine games under .500 for the first time since August 27, 2014.

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For a full box score of the game, click here.

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Yasiel Puig's three-run homer capped a four-run fourth inning against Tyler Pill, who had allowed one unearned run and no hits through his first three innings. Wilmer Flores and Travis d'Arnaud exchanged words after the slugger admired his long home run and took more than 32 seconds to round the bases.

2) Pill (0-3) was charged with six runs -- five earned -- on six hits and three walks. He struck out a career-high six over six innings.

The Mets (31-39) play Game 3 of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers (46-26) at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday at 10:10 p.m. on SNY. 

The Mets have now lost five of their last six games after a crushing, 12-0, loss Tuesday. 

Who is starting tonight for the Mets? 

RHP Tyler Pill (3.75 ERA/ 3.29 FIP, 1.58 WHIP) who was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to start in Wednesday's game. In his last start with the Mets, he took the loss as he allowed five runs, three earned on eight hits while striking out four and walking none in five innings. 

He won in his last start in Triple-A on June 15, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings. Pill is still looking for his first major league win. 

Former Mets groundskeeper Pete Flynn has passed away this morning at the age of 79, the team announced Wednesday.

"Pete helped make our fields one of the best in baseball," said Mets COO Jeff Wilpon in a statement. "He took such pride in his work and was a pro's pro. Tom Seaver always said Shea Stadium's mound had no equal. That's a pretty good endorsement."  

The Mets have placed pitcher Zack Wheeler on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to June 20) with biceps tendinitis and optioned infielder Matt Reynolds to Triple-A Las Vegas. 

In corresponding moves, the Mets have called up pitchers Tyler Pill and Erik Goeddel from Las Vegas. 

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told reporters that Wheeler has been dealing with "moderate" tendinitis over the last few days and is expected to miss one start.

Eighth-round pick Trey Cobb threw a bullpen session Tuesday morning in Port St. Lucie. Then, accompanied by six other selections from last week's draft, he flew to New York in the late afternoon and was at MCU Park for the end of the Brooklyn Cyclones' home opener.

Cobb, who turns 23 on Saturday, went 1-1 with a 3.37 ERA and three saves in 19 relief appearances this season as a senior with Oklahoma State. He had been drafted in the 12th round by the Cubs a year ago, but opted to remain in college for a final season.

Cobb had been a devout fan of the Cowboys while growing up an hour from campus in Broken Arrow, Okla. His family had basketball season tickets and regularly attended OSU football games.

With five losses in their last six games and double-digit deficits in the divisional and Wild Card races, Jay Bruce understands the predicament the Mets are currently in. The outfielder told the Daily News that New York needs to play better, "or we're not going to make the playoffs."

"The only thing that matters is what's ahead. What's behind you does not matter at all," Bruce said. "You can't say we lost this many games, so we have to win these games. I don't believe that you can play that game when it comes to the season, because it's so long and there are so many ups and downs."

After being on the trading block this past offseason, Bruce has been the Mets' most consistent player this year. The 30-year-old free agent-to-be is hitting .274/.339/.551 and leads the team with 19 homers and 48 RBIs. 

"The Mets have some serious pitching talent," I wrote in Spring Training, moments after watching Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard simultaneously throw bullpen sessions in February. "I actually take it for granted. But when seeing them all lined up together, throwing side by side, it takes the realization to a different level."

I wish I owned a time machine. I also wish pitchers weren't so easily and routinely injured. The thing is, while I understand that injuries are part of the game, especially for pitchers, do they all need to also pitch poorly at the same time?

As intimated in my quote from February, this season's success was supposed to happen because of the starting pitching. This isn't my theory. It is the strategy that was repeatedly emphasized by Terry Collins, Sandy Alderson and the starting pitchers themselves. Instead, the arms never showed up.

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Robert Gsellman allowed four home runs and suffered his second straight defeat as the Mets lost, 12-0, to the Dodgers late Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

Gsellman allowed eight runs, seven earned, on nine hits in 4 and 1/3 innings.

"You've got Gsellman, who lives and dies with ground balls, and they are hitting balls over the fence in the first inning," manager Terry Collins lamented after the game. "It just tells you movement is not there, he's location is not there."

It marked the second consecutive time he allowed at least six runs in an outing after he had not given up more than three runs since May 13.

The Mets are double digits back of both playoff spots, eight games below .500 (31-39) for the third time this season and are 34 games away from from the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

For a full box score of the game, click here.

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Robert Gsellman became the second straight Mets starter to allow four runs in the first inning. Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger connected on two-run homers off Gsellman (5-5), who surrendered eight runs -- seven earned -- on nine hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.

2) Seager joined Washington's Anthony Rendon as players to homer three times in one game against New York this season. He finished with four hits and a career-high six RBIs. Bellinger went deep for the third time in two games and Yasmani Grandal also homered for the Dodgers, who have hit 13 roundtrippers in their last three games.

The Mets (31-38) play Game 2 of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers (45-26) at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday at 10:10 p.m. on SNY. 

The Mets lost the first game of the series, 10-6, as RHP Zack Wheeler was hit hard for his second consecutive start. He let up seven runs on eight hits, including three homers in two innings.    

Who is starting tonight for the Mets? 

RHP Robert Gsellman (5.29 ERA/ 4.85 FIP, 1.54 WHIP) who took the loss in his last start against the Nationals. He allowed a career-high seven runs on 11 hits in five innings. Gsellman had won his previous three starts. 

Gsellman owns a 6.33 ERA in road starts this season. 

Mets RHP Tyler Pill is heading to LA as he will likely be the starter for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, per New York Post's Mike Puma. 

Puma noted Monday that the Mets will have RHP Rafael Montero start Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, since he pitched 3.2 innings on Monday, he won't be available. 

The Mets have not officially announced that Pill will be starting Wednesday. For now, Robert Gsellman will take the mound on Tuesday, Steven Matz on Thursday, Seth Lugo on Friday and Jacob deGrom on Saturday.

Lucas Duda may end up being the most likely position player to be traded by the Mets, assuming Sandy Alderson decides to trade away an asset or two in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

In 48 games this season, Duda has 12 home runs and 21 RBI, while batting .244, but with a ..353 OBP and 0.8 WAR, according to FanGraphs.com. Also, by the time the deadline rolls around, he will only be due roughly $3-4 million through the rest of this season, after which he's eligible to be a free agent.

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Which Mets player will hit 25 home runs first?

The Mets have officially signed this year's second round draft pick, SS-3B Mark Vientos, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. 

Vientos signed for $1.5 million when the No. 59 overall pick was valued at $1,094,700. 

Mayo and other draft expects have said they believe Vientos will be moved to third base during his professional career, even though he played shortstop in high school. 

Standing at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, Vientos hit .417 in his senior season at American Heritage School in Plantation, FL. 

Mets rookie infielder Gavin Cecchini hit his first career home run Monday night, and did it against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who is widely considered the best pitcher in baseball.

"It's obviously a good feeling to be able to hit my first home run, and have it to be off of the unbelievable pitcher that he is," Cecchini said after the game. "He made a mistake and hung a curveball, and I put my best swing on it."

According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, in advance of facing Kershaw, Cecchini watched plenty of video about the pitcher, plus sought out advice from veterans Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce.

Mets RHP Zack Wheeler was hit hard for the second consecutive outing during Monday night's 10-6 loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Wheeler (3-5) lasted just two innings and allowed seven runs, eight hits and three home runs. He struggled from the start, allowing five straight hits to open the game, including a three-run home run to 21-year-old rookie Cody Bellinger. 

"When you've got that kind of stuff and you're getting hit like he's getting hit, there is something wrong and we've got to get to the bottom of it," manager Terry Collins said after the game.

In the second inning, Bellinger hit another home run, two pitches after Justin Turner hit a home run, all of which combined to give Los Angeles a quick 7-0 lead.

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The Mets have lost four of their last five games, during which they've dropped to seven games below .500, 10 games behind the Nationals and 12 games back of a Wild Card spot.

To finish above .500, the Mets need to go 50-43 during the season's final 93 games.

For a full box score of the game, click here.

Things you should know about tonight's game...

1) Zack Wheeler allowed seven runs and eight hits -- including three home runs -- with two strikeouts in two innings during his second consecutive poor start. 

2) Despite falling behind 7-0, the Mets homered four times off Clayton Kershaw -- two by Jose Reyes. Gavin Cecchini hit his first Major League home run and Jay Bruce slugged his 19th of the season.

New York Mets outfielder Juan Lagares underwent successful surgery to repair a broken left thumb on Monday, the team announced.

Lagares fractured the IP joint in his left thumb while diving for a ball in Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals.

The 28-year-old Lagares was hitting .269 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 47 games.

The Mets (31-37) begin a 10-game road trip, starting with the Los Angeles Dodgers (44-26) at Dodger Stadium on Monday at 10:10 p.m. on SNY. 

The Mets are winners of six of their last 10 games. However, they dropped three of the four games in their latest series against the Washington Nationals. 

Who is starting tonight for the Mets? 

RHP Zack Wheeler (4.48 ERA/ 4.36 FIP, 1.46 WHIP) who took the loss in his last start against the Cubs. It was a short outing as he let up eight runs on six hits, including two homers, in 1.2 innings.

Wheeler thrives on the road with a 2.76 ERA compared to a 5.91 ERA at home. 

The decision to be a buyer or seller does not need to be made for four or five more weeks. But if the Mets do not have a surge of winning in the next month, Sandy Alderson ought to become a seller at the trade deadline...

A subpar four-game series to start this week at Dodger Stadium could further bury the Mets, since Los Angeles currently is even with the Diamondbacks for the wild-card positions at 44-26, one game behind the NL West-leading Rockies, who are also 46-26...

The Diamondbacks and Rockies, who are currently leading the NL Wild Card race, are on pace to both win what would be 100 games -- which would be the most ever for a Wild Card team. This is why, despite winning six of their last 10 games, the Mets still lost ground in their pursuit of a third-straight postseason appearance.

To end this season with 100 wins, the Mets would need to go 69-25 the rest of the year, which is a .734 winning percentage. The Mets never played better than .650 baseball (during a 30-day stretch) when hot at the end of each of the last two seasons. 

In other words, to reach their third consecutive postseason in 2017, the Mets need to play a lot better than they did down the stretch in 2015 and 2016, plus do it with fewer healthy players and for a longer stretch of time...

Mets RHP Jacob deGrom has been named the National League Player of the Week.

DeGrom, who allowed one run (unearned) on three hits while walking two and striking out six in eight innings during Sunday's win against the Nationals at Citi Field, has turned in two consecutive dominant starts.

He also hit a solo home run -- the first of his career -- during Sunday's game.

DeGrom allowed one run on five hits while walking four and striking out six while tossing a complete game on June 12 against the Cubs.

In the latest edition of We Ask Mets Fans presented by StubHub, Mets fans choose which player would excel most in another sport.

During Sunday's series finale against the Nationals at Citi Field, Jacob deGrom did everything he could to get the Mets a win on a day that often felt like it might be the last relevant game of the season -- despite there being 95 left to go.

For starters, by getting a victory, he helped the Mets avoid being totally embarrassed by losing four games to the Nationals at home during a vital stretch of the season.

US Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Tom Harrington was Sunday's First Data Veteran of the Game at Citi Field. 

The Mets won Sunday, but have dropped four of their last six games, including losing three of four to the Nationals at Citi Field this past weekend. They're now six games below .500 and double-digit losses back in both the race for the NL East and NL Wild Card slot...

This season, thanks to Citi, each time the home run apple goes up at Citi Field, another step is taken in the fight against childhood hunger.

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Mets infielder T.J. Rivera's third multi-hit game since the team recalled him from the minors earlier this week helped New York beat the Washington Nationals, 5-1, Sunday at Citi Field.

Rivera went 4-for-4 with three singles and a double, as he started for the fifth straight game since the Mets placed Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker on the disabled list.

"I just try to keep a positive mentality no matter what happens, whether it's being sent down or not playing that day," Rivera said, according to the New York Post's Howie Kussoy. "I'm always looking forward to an opportunity to play. It's not easier, but you get a little more comfortable in your at-bats ... the opportunity's nice, and I'm just trying to help contribute in any way possible."

In this week's Meet the MetsCast, MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone, comedian Steve Hofstetter and SiriusXM's Rob Brender talk about the best off-field stories from the last week, including...

• The mystery and potential problem with Cespedes's legs...
• Is it ever acceptable to give up on a baseball season?
• Aaron Judge and if success in the Bronx is bad for the Mets?
• Can the Mets play .600 baseball the next 99 games?
• Should the Mets use or not use a six-man rotation?

To listen to the show, click play below or use this link to download...

For a full box score of the game, click here.

Things you should know about today's game...

1) Jacob deGrom allowed an unearned run in the first and also tied the game with his first Major League home run, an opposite-field shot to left in the third inning off Joe Ross.

2) A Wilmer Flores error and a Travis d'Arnaud passed ball led to the Nationals' lone run scoring on Ryan Zimmerman's sacrifice fly. Overall, deGrom (6-3) limited Washington to three singles and two walks while striking out six in eight innings.