Jose Bautista's calling card in the past has been his powerful bat. And though he has had a decent start to his Mets campaign thus far, he hadn't hit a home run entering tonight's game against the Dodgers. 

Well, that changed in the bottom of the sixth as he launched a two-run shot to left-center field to put the Mets' on the board. 

Now that he got the first one out of the way, Bautista is hoping he sees more balls fly over the fence soon. 

Cody Bellinger's grand slam off Zack Wheeler proved decisive as the Mets lost to the Dodgers, 5-2. Jose Bautista hit his first home run as a Met.

Zack Wheeler made just one mistake, but it cost him as the Mets couldn't rebuttle Cody Bellinger's grand slam in the sixth in a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night. 

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

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

Mets RHP Zack Wheeler was cruising during his start on Friday night against the Dodgers. That is until the sixth inning came, and one pitch ruined everything. 

Wheeler began his night setting down six straight Dodgers, which included striking out the side in the second. In the top of the third, Michael Conforto helped out Wheeler by making a terrific diving grab in center field on a liner off the bat of Joc Pederson. 

After putting runners on the first and second to lead off the fourth, Wheeler worked out of another jam. But that wasn't the case when the sixth rolled around. 

With the game still scoreless, the Dodgers had a runner on second with two outs when Joc Pederson squared up a pitch from Zack Wheeler. 

The ball was drilled to center and looked to be destined for an extra-base hit. However, centerfielder Michael Conforto tracked it down, and laid out to save the run. 

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The Mets (31-41) kick off a six-game homestand with a three-game series against the visiting Dodgers (38-35) on Friday night at Citi Field at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

The Mets have scored eight or more runs in three straight games for the first time since May 3-6, 2017. ... They have lost back-to-back games while scoring eight or more runs for the second time in team history (only other time was April 7-8, 2004 at Atlanta. ... The Mets have hit 15 home runs over their last 12 games and 29 in their last 25 games. 

The Mets are 31-41, having gone 6-20 in their last 26 games, and 14-32 since May 1. They are 11.5 games out of first place in the NL East, and 8.5 games behind the Nationals for the second Wild Card in the NL.

But Mets GM Sandy Alderson isn't ready to say whether the team will be buyers or sellers in advance of the trade deadline. 

"I would put us in the middle," Alderson said on Friday, while realistic about what needs to happen to avoid the team being sellers.

Mets third baseman David Wright has taken the next step in his potentially longshot goal to return, hitting Friday in the batting cage while doing other baseball activity on the field. 

Wright had ramped up his level of baseball activity on June 10.

Wright, who missed the 2017 season and has been limited to 75 games since 2015 due to various back, neck and shoulder injuries, had been swinging off a tee, playing catch, and fielding grounders. 

Jay Bruce, who was placed on the 10-day DL earlier this week while dealing with a butt/back issue and plantar fasciitis in his left foot, said Friday that he has also been dealing with a hip issue since March -- and that it has probably negatively affected his play.

Bruce said there is no timetable for his return. 

"The injury has not been apparent for that long," Mets GM Sandy Alderson said. "It really hasn't been about playing him through injury."

Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (strained right index finger) will continue to play catch Friday before hopefully advancing to the next step in his return, manager Mickey Callaway said.

The next step for Syndergaard would likely be a bullpen session, followed by a rehab start. 

Syndergaard resumed his throwing program on Monday and increased his throwing distance on Tuesday...

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes (quad), who was expected to potentially ramp up his activity earlier this week, may do so this coming Monday or Tuesday, GM Sandy Alderson said on Friday.

But the Mets said there would be no running or baseball activities for Cespedes until he's symptom-free.

"I'm hopeful that it's gonna be relatively soon," Alderson said. "Once you recognize that there's a lingering issue -- possibly chronic -- you have to deal with it."

The Mets have designated reliever Hansel Robles for assignment, potentially marking an end to his rocky Mets career.

Needing to clear 40-man roster spots for Drew Smith and Kevin Kaczmarski, who arrived from Triple-A Las Vegas, the Mets chose to transfer AJ Ramos to the 60-day DL and DFA Robles. The choice to DFA Robles was interesting, since the Mets could've simply transferred Jamie Callahan to the 60-day DL instead.

Michelle Ioannou, MetsBlog | Twitter | A good, surprising move by the Mets. Hansel Robles wasn't contributing and he was doing more harm than good. The Mets just couldn't dealing with that. And the fans couldn't keep watching it...

Justin Turner, in town with the Dodgers to play the Mets, used the words "kicked out" to describe the end of his Mets career, and said he was left with a chip on his shoulder.

Turner, who landed with the Dodgers after the 2013 season and immediately became one of the best players in baseball, said during an appearance on WFAN with Carlin, Maggie, and Bart on Friday that "it's hard to say" whether he would have blossomed in the same way if he stayed with the Mets, adding later that he "would like to think so."

"I know what I did in 2013, start talking to Marlon Byrd about the different hitting philosophy," Turner said. "We were hitting four to five days a week for the entire offseason. ... I was looking forward to coming back and bringing my new swing into spring training. Unfortunately, I never got that opportunity. I was left looking for a job."

Drew Smith looked terrific early in spring training right through his 21 appearances with Triple-A Las Vegas. Now, he will be promoted and join the Mets before Friday's game.

Smith, who was acquired last summer from the Rays for Lucas Duda, is known for throwing a quick and slippery fastball. At first glance, I was concerned with how far down he dips his throwing shoulder, seemingly scraping the ball against his calf muscle, but it works for him and appears to be all part of his ability to look like he's throwing a lot harder than he is.

In 30 innings this season, Smith, 24, has a 3.00 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 28 strikeouts pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He had a 1.80 ERA and 0.87 WHIP last season in Double-A.

The Mets will be pitched by teams looking to acquire Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. However, despite all the buzz, I expect both pitchers will continue being Mets at least through the next two seasons.

Frankly, the only way I see either of these two pitchers being traded is if a new GM and front office takes the wheel. Otherwise, it's ride or die with deGrom and Syndergaard for Sandy Alderson. 

Similarly, while there will be interest in (and it's worth listening to offers for) Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman, my hunch is Alderson would prefer to keep them as well -- especially given the delicate state of his rotation.

On the latest episode of Shea Anything, Doug Williams and Andy Martino chat about the discussion around trading Jacob deGrom, whether or not Yoenis Cespedes can still be an impact player, and what the future holds for Sandy Alderson. They also talk music!

Don't forget -- Doug and Andy want to hear from you! Go to SNY.tv/SheaAnything and upload a video or audio clip of your take on the Mets. Keep it to 30 seconds or less, make it good, and you may be on the show!

Click below to listen...

Despite not being on the All-Star ballot, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said he would be open to the idea of competing in the Home Run Derby.

"I'm intrigued by it for sure," Nimmo said, according to Newsday's Tim Healey. "It would be a really cool experience. There will be other factors, how I'm feeling at that point. So much can happen in a month. I think it's going to go more into how I'm feeling, but heck, it's an honor to even be asked that question."

A year ago, Nimmo hit just five home runs in 69 games; he has more than doubled that in six fewer games in 2018.

The Mets will call up Triple-A Las Vegas RH reliever Drew Smith and OF Kevin Kaczmarski prior to Friday's game, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

They optioned RHP Chris Flexen and RHP Paul Sewald to Triple-A Las Vegas after Thursday's game. 

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter | I noted earlier that the Mets could go one of two ways here. They could call up two relievers or call up one reliever and one position player, which would restore the five-man bench. The latter is the route that made sense, and the way they went. I wrote on Wednesday about how it's time to give the 24-year-old Smith a chance. He isn't on the 40-man roster, but the Mets can clear a spot by shifting either AJ Ramos or Jamie Callahan to the 60-day DL. Smith has pitched incredibly well and has lots of upside. It's time to see what he can do.  

Asked after the Mets' third straight loss on Thursday if he was worried about the team's 31-41 record, Mets manager Mickey Callaway said he wasn't.

"You don't worry about the record," Callaway said. "You just worry about how you do your thing every day and how you are playing the game and we'll start syncing everything up."

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter | I understand what Callaway was trying to say -- that if the Mets keep following their process, things will fall in to place and the record will take care of itself. But when you're asked point blank if you're worried about the record of your team that's in a free-fall, it makes sense to say 'yes.'

Veteran 3B Todd Frazier joined the Mets with the vision of winning. He wasn't looking for a rebuild. 

It was reported by SNY's Andy Martino that the Mets are having "internal discussions" about whether they want to hear offers on their stud flamethrowers in Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.  

If one or both of these arms end up moving by the trade deadline, Frazier wouldn't be happy.

Steven Matz struggled early, and the Mets offense couldn't do enough in their third straight loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Steven Matz allowed five runs in the first two innings and the Mets dropped their third straight game, 6-4, to the Rockies on Thursday afternoon at Coors Field.

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

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

Mets LHP Steven Matz had a rough start in Colorado on Thursday afternoon, but he settled in before his day ended. 

Four straight Rockies reached base to lead off the bottom of the first, with Nolan Arenado sending one over the fence for a three-run homer. After Trevor Story's double, a mound visit was used to calm Matz down. It worked as a double play following a strikeout got him out of the inning. 

The second inning wasn't any better for Matz, though, as the Rockies' struck for two more runs. It was Arenado picking up his fourth and fifth RBI on the day as he smacked a double to right to make it 5-1. 

The Mets (31-40) wrap up their four-game series against the Rockies (36-38) on Thursday afternoon in Colorado at 3:10 on SNY.

Mets Notes...

The Mets have scored eight or more runs in three straight games for the first time since May 3-6, 2017. ... They have lost back-to-back games while scoring eight or more runs for the second time in team history (only other time was April 7-8, 2004 at Atlanta. ... The Mets have hit 15 home runs over their last 12 games and 29 in their last 25 games. 

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes (hip, quad) hopes to resume running soon as he works his way back from the DL, manager Mickey Callaway said Thursday.

The Mets are in dire need of Cespedes, with Jay Bruce recently landing on the DL due to multiple injuries, and Juan Lagares out for the season. 

Brandon Nimmo has been incredible and Michael Conforto is heating up, but the other outfield position is being held together by a combination of Jose Bautista and Dominic Smith -- with Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes the only other outfield options.

The Mets are currently engaged in internal discussions about whether to take offers for Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, according to SNY's Andy Martino. 

And if they were to part with deGrom and send him to the crosstown Yankees, the Mets would insist on otherworldly second baseman Gleyber Torres, a Mets source told FanRag's Jon Heyman. Of course, Torres and some of the Yankees' other top chips are reportedly off-limits. 

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | My reporting leads me to be very confident that the Mets will not be trading deGrom or Syndergaard to the Yankees. The relationship between the two clubs is frosty at best, and the Yanks wouldn't trade Torres anyway...

Steven Matz, on the hill Thursday afternoon against the Rockies, entered the 2018 season coming off an injury-shortened 2017 campaign in which he put up a brutal 6.08 ERA. Amid doubts of his ability to pitch in a major league rotation as well as health scares, he has surprised with a 3.31 ERA in his 13 starts -- the same number he made before being shut down last season.

But questions remain about his peripherals as well as his durability as the Mets consider what their pitching staff will look like in the second half and beyond.

The results for Matz could not be more different than they were last year. He has allowed just 24 earned runs over 65.1 innings, after allowing 45 over the same timeframe in 2017. Batters have hit just .221 against him, and his 52.5 percent ground ball rate is the best of his career...

The Rockies mounted a pair of comebacks in a see-saw battle to defeat the Mets, 10-8, at Coors Field on Wednesday night. 

The Mets failed to hold a pair of multi-run leads in dropping their second straight to the Rockies, 10-8, on Wednesday night at Coors Field.

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

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

1) After the Mets rallied to take an 8-6 lead into the bottom of the fifth, a usually rock-solid Robert Gsellman retired the first two batters before falling apart. He issued a walk to Ian Desmond, a single to Tom Murphy and a pinch-hit three-run homer to Ryan McMahon. Charlie Blackmon added a solo blast in the sixth for the final margin of victory.

Mets RHP Seth Lugo wasn't sharp again in his second straight start, but his defense wasn't much help either. Lugo's final line says six runs allowed, however, only three struck his ERA in the end.

It was in the top of the second that things started to unravel for Lugo. After allowing a solo shot to Nolan Arenado in the top of the first, Lugo's second inning started with a throwing error from Todd Frazier to allow Trevor Story to move to second. Gerardo Parra roped a single to drive Story home in the next at-bat. 

Then, after walking Ian Desmond and striking out Tom Murphy, Devin Mesoraco had a passed ball that allowed Parra and Desmond to move into scoring position. The Rockies would drive in both runs to tie the game at four apiece. 

Check back here for in-game highlights from Mets vs. Rockies on Wednesday night at Coors Field.

The Mets were already up 1-0 when catcher Devin Mesoraco came to the plate with bases loaded. And though Rockies starter Chad Bettis had him down 0-2 with two outs, he turned on a fastball and roped it down the left-field line for a two-RBI double.

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The Mets (31-39) continue their four-game series against the Rockies (35-38) on Wednesday night in Colorado at 8:40 on SNY.

Mets Notes...

The Mets had their three-game win streak snapped last night. ...The Mets ahve 15 homers in their last 11 games and 29 homers over their last 24 games. ...The Mets had a hit in 14 straight innings dating back to the eighth inning on Sunday until the third inning on Tuesday night. It was the longest streak since 2014.

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter | The Mets' Triple-A to the majors bullpen revolving door moved again on Wednesday, with the team sending Hansel Robles to Las Vegas and recalling Chris Flexen.

Maybe Robles turns things around at some point and maybe Flexen becomes more than a mop-up guy, but at this point, it makes sense for the Mets to try someone different.

24-year-old Drew Smith, who was acquired from the Rays last season for Lucas Duda, has a 3.00 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 28 strikeouts in 30.0 innings (21 appearances) this season for Las Vegas in the hitters haven that is the Pacific Coast League. He also excelled last season for Double-A Binghamton, with a 1.80 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.

The Mets have signed recent fifth-round (140th overall) draft pick Ryley Gilliam, a right-handed reliever who could rocket through the system and get to New York "very quickly," according to MLB.com's Jim Callis. 

The 21-year-old Gilliam, who features a high-octane fastball and hammer curve, signed for $550,000 -- over the slot value of $379,400. 

Gilliam, who was ranked as MLB.com's 127th-best Draft prospect, had a 1.41 ERA while striking out 54 batters in 38.1 innings (27 appearances) for Clemson this season. 

The Nationals acquired reliever Kelvin Herrera from the Royals earlier this week for three prospects, though only one of them -- Blake Perkins at No. 8 -- was on ESPN's Nationals Top 10 Prospects list.

So, how does this impact the Mets and the potential that they could trade Jeurys Familia? Does it impact them at all?

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | If this deal impacts Familia's value, that's bad news for the Mets. But realistically, the team can't hope to get a top prospect for a closer with shoulder issues, who has not been consistently healthy or effective for nearly two years.

On the season premiere of The Amazin' Life, presented by Coca-Cola, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling literally switch bodies before a game!

Click below to watch...

The Mets are having internal discussions about whether to trade Jacob deGrom and/or Noah Syndergaard, according to SNY's Andy Martino. And if they can't have deGrom, the Yankees' Neil Walker would be just fine with them settling for Syndergaard.

"If he were to be an addition to our team, it would be well-received," Walker told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com on Tuesday. 

Walker, who played for the Mets in 2016 and 2017 -- before being traded to the Brewers -- talked about Syndergaard's ability to dominate.

No. 1 Mets prospect Andres Gimenez is excelling for High-A St. Lucie, with a promotion to Double-A Binghamton possible before the end of the season. 

The 19-year-old shortstop is hitting .279/.352/.434 with four HR, 16 doubles, three triples, and a league-leading 23 stolen bases in 62 games this season.

What makes Gimenez's line even more impressive is that he's putting up those numbers while playing in a league where he's roughly three years younger than the average player.

Mets coaches and players alike are making it clear that they believe Jacob deGrom is an irreplaceable asset on the mound and should not be traded. Pitching coach Dave Eiland, who is in his first season with deGrom and the Mets, called the deGrom trade talk "asinine" and asked who would replace all of the innings deGrom's innings this season, next season, and in 2020.

"These guys don't just fall off trees, it's total nonsense,'' he said, per Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. "Say you got five prospects, who is to say those prospects are going to work out?'' Manager Mickey Callaway agreed, calling him "irreplaceable." 

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | I feel ya, Dave. Been saying the same thing myself. But here's the difference between me and you: your bosses are actively discussing doing the thing that you called "asinine." They might have preferred a softer word...

The Rockies chased Mets starter Jason Vargas with three home runs in a six-run third inning and held off the Mets, 10-8, on Tuesday night.

Jason Vargas allowed three straight home runs in the third inning and the Mets could not catch up in a 10-8 loss to the Rockies on Tuesday night at Coors Field.

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

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

1) Betrayed by poor defense and bad luck in the first inning, Vargas (2-6) allowed two runs on four hits in the frame before falling apart in the third. The southpaw surrendered back-to-back-to-back homers and was removed after allowing five of the six batters he faced in the inning to reach safely. Vargas has a 13.50 ERA in four career starts at Coors Field after he was charged with seven runs and nine hits over 2 1/3 innings. He hit a batter and did not issue a walk or record a strikeout.

Mets LHP Jason Vargas allowed seven runs -- including back-to-back-to-back home runs -- on nine hits in just 2 1/3 innings against the Rockies on Tuesday night.

Trevor Story and Ian Desmond each hit RBI singles in the first inning before Vargas fell victim to the long ball in a six-run third inning.

He allowed three home runs in that sixth inning, as Nolan Arenado took Vargas deep in the third inning with a two-run home run, then Story and Desmond struck again with solo home runs right after.

Mets reliever AJ Ramos will undergo season-ending surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson said last week that Ramos was getting a second opinion and surgery could be an option. 

Ramos, who landed on the 10-day DL due to rotator cuff tendinitis, struggled on the mound before his DL stint. He last pitched against the Brewers on May 25-26, where he walked in the winning run in extras, and allowed three earned runs over 0.2 innings in those two contests respectively.

Mets minor league infielder Jeff McNeil is drawing trade interest from other teams, reports Matt Ehalt of The Record.

McNeil is having a tremendous season and was recently promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he has four hits in 11 at-bats.

McNeil, 26, has hit off the bench and served in utility roles while working his way up the Mets' farm system beginning in 2013.

Lost a bit in the Gleyber Torres mania in the Bronx -- at least until Tuesday night -- was the emergence of Brandon Nimmo in Queens. 

The 25-year-old Nimmo is hitting .287/.410/.603 for the Mets with 12 HR, nine doubles, five triples, and seven stolen bases in 60 games this season -- and is currently one of the most valuable players in the majors.

Nimmo has the best slugging percentage in the National League (min. 200 plate appearances) and the fifth-highest in all of baseball. His 1.013 OPS is the best in the NL and fourth-best in baseball. 

Dominic Smith is making his first career start in the outfield on Tuesday night when he will play left field in the Mets' road matchup against Rockies at Coors FIeld.

Smith is shifting to the outfield in the absence of Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes, who are both on the disabled list. Bruce landed on the disabled list earlier in the day on Tuesday after playing in just one game since last Wednesday. 

Smith told reporters before Tuesday's game that he had a chance to work in the outfield at Coors Field on Monday and is excited about the opportunity.

The Mets (31-38) continue their four-game series against the Rockies (34-38) on Tuesday night in Colorado at 8:40 on SNY.

Mets Notes...

The Mets are 18-17 on the road this season. ... Monday night's game was the second time since the start of 2015 that the Mets had at least one hit in every inning. ... The Mets have hit 15 home runs in their last 10 games and 29 home runs in their last 23 games, though 22 of those home runs have been solo shots. ... Mets starting pitchers have a 2.77 ERA over their last 28 games (162.1 innings). 

Jay Bruce, who has been battling multiple injuries and had played just once since last Wednesday, has been placed on the 10-day DL, with the Mets calling up reliever Tim Peterson to take his spot on the roster. 

On the heels of a three-strikeout game as he returned on Sunday from an upper butt/hip issue, the Mets had moved Bruce down to seventh in the lineup on Monday before scratching him due to hip soreness. He did not play on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday due to the issue. He has also been playing through plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and said Monday that it was still bothering him.

With Bruce now on the DL, the Mets are operating with a four-man bench, and their backup outfielders are Wilmer Flores and Dominic Smith. That could change soon, if Yoenis Cespedes returns from his hip issue...

Mets ace Jacob deGrom is in the midst of one of the most dominant stretches in baseball history. 

Here's a look...

• DeGrom leads the majors with a 1.51 ERA, ahead of Justin Verlander (1.61), Max Scherzer (2.06), and Luis Severino (2.09).