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...

Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (strained right index finger) will continue to play catch Wednesday before hopefully advancing to a bullpen session this weekend, reports Mike Puma of the NY Post. 

Syndergaard resumed his throwing program on Monday and increased his throwing distance on Tuesday, manager Mickey Callaway recently said. 

"I would venture to say it's not going to be a long, drawn-out process," Callaway added.

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...

Steven Matz 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...

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).

Ken Rosenthal's report Monday for The Athletic, which stated the Mets are essentially listening to trade offers for all of their players, is important.

It's not important because it means every player on the team is about to be traded. However, it signals to us and the market with one shot that GM Sandy Alderson is thinking long-term and not just about 2018.

The Mets could spend several days connecting by phone or messaging with every front office to inform them of their willingness to deal, but launching a bomb through Rosenthal is more efficient...

I've never been more impressed and wowed by Mets RHP Jacob deGrom than I was watching his start Monday against the Rockies at Coors Field.

He did not have good control of his slider or change up as early as his first opponent of the game. In this situation, like most every pitcher in baseball, the deGrom of a few years ago would have tried to push through and keep searching for his command -- at least through the first inning.

If lucky, this foolish approach will work. If not, the pitcher can expect to throw a lot of pitches, give up multiple runs, and end up needing his bullpen to enter the game earlier rather than later...

Mets ace Jacob deGrom, in the midst of one of the most dominant stretches in recent memory, turned 30 years old today.

DeGrom is awesome, so let's celebrate his birthday with videos of him being awesome.

Click below to see...

Mets ace Jacob deGrom did his thing, but it was Brandon Nimmo who stole the show during New York's 12-2 win over the Rockies on Monday night in Colorado. 

Nimmo, who led off the game with an inside the park home run (because of course he did), finished the night 4-for-6 with two homers and four RBI. 

The Happiest Man in Baseball -- now hitting .287/.410/.603 -- flashed his grin throughout the night, and was featured on the back pages in the morning. Click below to see...

All season long, Fios, the 100% fiber-optic network, is bringing superfans closer to their Mets thanever before.

Not only do you get an amazin' HD picture so every game feels like you're in Citi Field, but now, every Tuesday home games, Fios customers can enter for a chance to win Mets tickets, exclusive access and experiences at Citi Field through the SNY Superfan Sweepstakes, courtesy of Fios.

For official rules and to enter, visit sny.tv/fios.  

No purchase necessary.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | It's all too easy to manufacture drama in a baseball season, to claim for the sake of a storyline that a particular stretch of games carries meaning.

But in the case of the Mets, these next few weeks are truly pivotal, and could determine the direction of the franchise for years to come.

My understanding is that the team is currently engaged in internal discussions about whether to take offers for Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. I've been on record calling two friends of mine crazy for suggesting that this is a good idea, and calling on the team to add Manny Machado -- but the purpose of today's column is to provide information, not my opinion...

The Mets opened their series with the Rockies on the road in grand fashion Monday night. Led by the hot bat of Brandon Nimmo, the Mets plated 12 runs on 15 hits on their way to victory. 

Brandon Nimmo homered twice and had four hits and a career-high four RBIs in support of Jacob deGrom as the Mets rolled to their third straight win, 12-2, against the Rockies on Monday night at Coors Field.

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

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

1) Nimmo led off the game with an inside-the-park home run, singled in the fifth and went deep again in the seventh for the second multi-homer game of his career. He added a two-run single during the Mets' six-run ninth inning to match his career high with four hits. He became the first Met to hit an inside-the-park homer since Ruben Tejada on Sept. 2, 2015. His 10 home runs since May 23 are tied with Seattle's Nelson Cruz and Houston's Evan Gattis for the most in the Majors.

Mets' RHP Jacob deGrom won his first game since May 18 by striking out seven batters in eight strong innings in Monday's 12-2 win against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

DeGrom (5-2) allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits as he threw at least seven innings for the seventh consecutive start.

In deGrom's five-start winless streak, he recorded a 1.25 ERA and had 44 strikeouts in 36 innings, giving up six runs (five earned) in that span. However, the Mets scored more than one run just once in those starts.

Outfielder Brandon Nimmo became the first Mets player to hit a leadoff inside-the-park home run in nine years in Monday's game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Nimmo hit Tyler Anderson's first pitch of the game to deep right-center field and rounded the bases in 14.7 seconds, the fastest time in the majors this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The last Mets player to hit an inside-the-park home run was Ruben Tejada in 2015.

The Mets (30-38) open a four-game series against the Rockies (34-37) on Monday night in Colorado at 8:40 on SNY.

Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard (strained right index finger) resumed his throwing program on Monday and will increase his throwing distance on Tuesday, manager Mickey Callaway said. 

"I would venture to say it's not going to be a long, drawn-out process," Callaway added.

Syndergaard had been slated to return from the DL to start last Sunday against the Yankees, but was scratched from that start before receiving a second opinion on his injury. 

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes (hip, quad) "checked out well" during physical therapy on Monday and may ramp up his activity on Tuesday, but is not yet cleared for baseball activity, manager Mickey Callaway said. 

Cespedes played two rehab games with Binghamton last week before suffering a setback.

The 32-year-old Cespedes has been out since May 14, when he suffered a mild strain of his right hip flexor -- an issue that GM Sandy Alderson recently suggested was chronic.  

On the heels of a three-strikeout game as he returned from an upper butt/hip issue, the Mets had moved Jay Bruce down to seventh in the lineup on Monday before scratching him due to hip soreness.

Bruce said Monday that he hates the idea of going on the DL, but will be reevaluated on Tuesday with a DL stint on the table.

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.

The Mets last week promoted Triple-A infielder Jeff McNeil, who has become a popular, in-demand minor-leaguer among online fans and the prospect media.

The public interest in McNeil, 26, has been sparked by his late-blooming, left-handed power numbers, which has him looking like a totally different hitter than he was in 2015.

Back then, two years after being drafted with the organization's 12th-round pick, he has been presenting as an off-the-bench, slap-hitter. Then, in 2016, he missed time with a hernia, quad injury and needed surgery on his labrum. He entered this season having never had a true, full year to focus on his game and establish his toolbox. And so, three months ago, at 26, he had simply been looking destine to be a career minor-leaguer. 

It turns out that McNeil added muscle during his rehab from surgery, worked to add lift in his swing this past off season, and exploded in Double-A where he had a league-leading 14 home runs in Double-A before a recent promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas. 

The Mets are in dire need of a long-term, everyday catcher that can hit, deal with the pressure of New York and handle the team's pitching staff. This is why, if Sandy Alderson intends to change the complexion of the team via trade this summer, I'd like for him to find a way to get Marlins C J.T. Realmuto.

Unfortunately, to make that happen, multiple team insiders say four things need to happen...

The Mets have agreed to a deal with their recent second-round draft pick, RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson, and have assigned him to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Mets. 

The deal is worth $1.85 million, Jim Callis of MLB.com reported last week. The pick was valued at just under $1.5 million.

Woods-Richardson, 17, is a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder out of Kempner High School in Houston, Texas. 

Mets manager Mickey Callaway, a rookie manager at the helm of a team that has nose-dived while dealing with injuries to some of its most important players, has been enduring "sleepless nights."

"There's been sleepless nights,'" Callaway told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "It's not that I'm worrying about myself, but when you see these guys working so hard, and when the results don't come, you can't help but think about that. You lay in bed at night and say, "OK, what am I going to say to this guy? What am I going to say to that guy? Do you leave him alone? Do you let him work through it?"

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter | It's understandable that Callaway had sleepless nights as the Mets' stretch of almost impossible to believe offensive ineptitude rolled on. There have also been major injuries Callaway has had to navigate through. Yoenis Cespedes has been out since May 13, and Noah Syndergaard hasn't pitched since May 25. Todd Frazier has also missed lots of time, and the team was without both of its starting catchers for a significant portion of the season. Meanwhile, Jay Bruce has been playing hurt and something will have to give with him soon...

The Mets are "ready to entertain trade offers for virtually everyone" on the roster, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

According to Rosenthal, the Mets would prefer to hold on to Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Robert Gsellman, and Seth Lugo, and would be more open to trading Noah Syndergaard than Jacob deGrom.

DeGrom, having the best season of his career and in the midst of one of the more dominant stretches in recent memory, is under team control through 2020, while Syndergaard is under control through 2021. 

Zack Wheeler again looked terrific on Sunday, providing further evidence he has clearly turned a physical and psychological corner in his career.

In Sunday's game, he retired 10 straight batters before the D-backs started forcing him to change his gameplan. And he did, which is what has been most impressive about his time on the mound this year. In the end, Wheeler tossed 97 pitches, went six innings, allowed two earned runs and three hits, walked two and struck out eight.

He has a 1.93 ERA in his past three starts. And, in a situation that could make only Jacob deGrom jealous, the Mets are 1-5 during Wheeler's previous five starts, despite his 3.68 ERA.

Zack Wheeler delivered a solid start, then Brandon Nimmo and Asdrubal Cabrera homered in the ninth to steal a win for the Mets in Arizona.

Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo hit a two-out, two-run go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning to key a comeback victory in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Nimmo's home run off Brad Boxberger turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead, and Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a solo homer as the Mets won back-to-back games for the first time since May 18-21, when they won four in a row.

"To come back and get a win like that," manager Mickey Callaway told reporters after the game, "that was something that we were doing early on, feels like three years old, but that was a really good win for us."

Brandon Nimmo's two-run homer highlighted a four-run ninth inning as the Mets rallied to earn a split of their four-game series with the Diamondbacks, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field.

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

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

1) Down to their last out, the Mets scored four times to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 edge. Jose Bautista had a pinch-hit RBI double in front of back-to-back home runs by Brandon Nimmo and Asdrubal Cabrera. Jose Reyes reached on a bunt single to start the rally after Diamondbacks' reliever Brad Boxberger retired the first two batters of the inning. 

The Mets activated RHP Jeurys Familia from the DL for Sunday's game against the D-Backs and RHP Jacob Rhame was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Familia had been on the disabled list since June 7 with soreness in his right shoulder.

The 28-year-old Familia has a 2.48 ERA with 14 saves and 33 strikeouts this season. His last save was on May 28 when he struck out three batters in two innings of work against the Braves.

The Mets (29-38) will conclude their series with the Diamondbacks (39-31) at Chase Field on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. 

Mets OF Michael Conforto hit a three-run homer and collected four RBI during the team's win over the D-Backs on Saturday night after he made an adjustment at the plate.

"Our hitting coaches saw something, and they were right," manager Mickey Callaway said. "And he's looked totally different at the plate."

The Mets noticed that Conforto was previously overextending on pitches, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Mets LHP Steven Matz allowed just one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings in the Mets' 5-1 win over the D-Backs on Saturday night.

Matz allowed hits in each of the first three innings before retiring the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings. The only run allowed by Matz came in the sixth inning when Nick Ahmed hit a leadoff triple and came around to score when the next batter, Paul Goldschmidt, grounded out to short.

Matz drew two quick groundouts in the seventh inning, but was pulled after giving up back-to-back singles to Deven Marrero and Daniel Descalso.

Michelle Ioannou, MetsBlog | Twitter | My father passed away from Multiple Sclerosis when I was 18 years old.

The Mets were one of our things, arguably our biggest thing. And that's why no matter how dark things may get with this team, it's more than just a game. At least for me. It's a connection back to my father. It's a reminder of all of the good times, talks, and laughs we had together. And it's a happiness that something my father and I loved and shared. I can still treasure that, despite him not being here.

My father was taking me to Shea Stadium from a very young age. We'd sit there, doing the book, and he'd explain to me what was going on. We'd get our hot dogs, our french fries, and ice cream. On extra special days, he'd even let me paint the Mets logo on my face (usually with my mother's eyeliner -- sorry if you're reading this and just finding out, ma)...

Steven Matz pitched into the seventh inning and Michael Conforto drove in four runs as the Mets ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over the D-backs on Saturday night.

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

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

1) Matz was solid, allowing one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. The left-hander walked one and struck out three as he recorded his fourth quality start in his last five appearances.

2) Conforto led the offense with a homer, a double and four RBIs. The outfielder put the Mets on the board in the second inning when he launched his ninth home run of the year, driving in Wilmer Flores and Brandon Nimmo. It was Conforto's third long ball in just eight career at-bats against D-backs lefty Patrick Corbin. The 25-year-old added an RBI double off Corbin in the sixth.

Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes was "strongly considering" an offer from the Houston Astros before he re-signed with the Mets in November of 2016, which was one of the reasons why the Mets offered him a no-trade clause, reports John Harper of the New York Daily News.

Cespedes, who ultimately signed a four-year, $110 million contract, had a priority list consisting of three main factors, according to the report: He wanted to play with a contender; he sought a no-trade clause; and wanted to train near his ranch in Florida.

Furthermore, Cespedes did not enjoy playing for then-manager Terry Collins -- and that was said said to be a significant factor. 

Check back here for in-game highlights from Mets vs. Diamondbacks on Saturday night in the desert.

Mets OF Michael Conforto hit a three-run homer in the second inning to put the Mets on the board. 

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE VIDEO

In RHP David Peterson, 3B Mark Vientos, SS Andres Gimenez and 1B Peter Alonso, the Mets have four prospects that are getting the attention of rival scouts and top prospect lists.

Unfortunatley, insiders repeatedly tell me Sandy Alderson's farm system is lacking depth, despite adding six hard-throwing relievers during last summer's sell off of veterans.

"They have projectable talent to lean on and at positions they're going to need," a friend with an NL East player development department recently told me. "If those guys don't pan out, they'll be thin. But, they have a few guys that can be everyday players, no doubt."

So, what has happened to the pitching prospects Alderson acquired last summer?