Mets manager Mickey Callaway and LHP Jason Vargas were involved in a shouting incident with a reporter following Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Callaway called Newsday reporter Tim Healey "motherf---er" multiple times and told him to leave the clubhouse, while Vargas needed to be restrained by teammates as he defended Callaway, according to the New York Daily News' Deesha Thosar.

"The Mets sincerely regret the incident that took place with one of our beat writers following today's game in the clubhouse," the Mets said in a statement. "We do not condone this type of behavior from any employee."

Mets manager Mickey Callaway defended his decision to not bring in Edwin Diaz for a five-out save in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs.

"We're not going to use him for five outs," Callaway said of Diaz. "That's the bottom line."

Instead of bringing in Robert Gsellman or Diaz, who had made one pitching appearance since last Saturday (12 pitches), to face Javy Baez in a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom of the eighth with the Mets up 3-2, Callaway opted to stick with Seth Lugo.

Seth Lugo spoiled Jacob deGrom's strong outing by giving up three runs in the eighth inning as the Mets lost the series finale to the Cubs 5-3 on Sunday at Wrigley Field. >> Box score

Five things to know from Sunday's game

1) Lugo surrendered a go-ahead three-run home run to Javy Baez in the bottom of the eighth inning that turned a 3-2 lead into a two-run deficit as the Mets failed to win their third straight game. Lugo gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Schwarber and then allowed a one-out walk to Anthony Rizzo to bring up Baez, who launched an 0-2 slider over the right-field fence for a 374-foot home run.

On Saturday, Pete Alonso tied Darryl Strawberry's rookie home run record for the Mets when he mashed his 26th dinger at Wrigley Field. 

Well, it only took him to his next game to break it. 

Continuing to stay hot at the plate this season, Alonso took Cole Hamels to deep right-center field for a no doubter to make his home run total 27 on the season. Now Alonso's name is written next to the record for the most rookie home runs in a single season in franchise history...

The Mets (37-40, 8.0 GB in NL East) finish their four-game set with the Cubs (41-36, 0.5 GA in NL Central) at 2:20 p.m on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

Mets notes

The Mets would make it a three-game win streak if they can pull out a victory today. ...Pete Alonso hit his 26th homer of the season on Saturday, which tied him with Darryl Strawberry for most home runs by a rookie in franchise history. ...The Mets have hit a long ball 18 of the 20 games they've played this month. In total, they have 34. ...Jeff McNeil has five consecutive mult-hit games at the moment. It's the second time in his career he has accomplished this. ...Michael Conforto has reached base safely in 12 of his last 13 games. 

When the Mets drafted high school RHP Matthew Allan in the third round, they full expected to be competitive enough in their offer that he wouldn't go to the University of Florida next season. 

And it looks like that will be the case, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

Heyman says the Mets are "on track" to signing Allan -- as well as fourth-rounder Jake Mangum -- and it could very well happen this week. 

The Mets (37-40, 8.0 GB in NL East, 3.5 GB of second Wild Card) complete their four-game series against the Cubs on Sunday at 2:20 p.m.

It will be a good pitcher's duel with Jacob deGrom and Cole Hamels going at it on the bump.

Here's what happened on Saturday, in case you missed it...

The Mets have taken back-to-back games from the Cubs, and the top of the lineup has been the biggest reason why.

Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso have combined to hit .333 in the last two games, hitting a pair of home runs and driving in seven runs. 

McNeil has recorded two hits in both games, while Alonso regrouped from a frustrating day on Friday to blast his 26th home run of the season on Saturday.

The Mets clubbed three home runs on Saturday to beat the Cubs 10-2 at Wrigley Field. >> Box score

Five things to know from Saturday's game...

1) Pete Alonso's historic rookie season continued as he tied the Mets' rookie home run record of 26 held by Darryl Strawberry in the first inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Alonso also now holds the most home runs by a National League rookie before the All-Star break and is on pace for 54 home runs, which would break Aaron Judge's rookie home run record of 52. 

Pete Alonso made history on Saturday. 

In the first inning, the Mets rookie slugger belted a curveball 419 feet into center field for his 26th home run of the season. 

The home run ties Darryl Strawberry for the Mets rookie franchise record but also gives him the most home runs in National League history by a rookie before the All-Star break, surpassing a record set by Dodgers' Cody Bellinger two seasons ago. The MLB record is 33 set by Mark McGwire. 

The Mets (36-40, 8.0 GB in NL East) are back at Wrigley Field on Saturday as they take on the Cubs (41-35, 1.5 GA in NL Central) at 2:20 p.m.

Mets notes

The Mets evened their four-game series with the Cubs on Friday after Jeff McNeil drove in three runs en route to a 5-4 victory. McNeil blasted a tw-run home run in the third inning, giving the Mets home runs in 17 of their last 19 games. ... J.D. Davis is batting third as he enters the game with a .368 average and 1.060 OPS over his last 14 games. ... Michael Conforto's home run on Friday made it 11 of his last 12 games in which he has hit safely in. 

Noah Syndergaard will throw a bullpen session on Saturday as the Mets are still waiting to see how that goes before deciding on if he will be able to return from the IL when he is eligible on Wednesday, according to manager Mickey Callaway. 

The right-hander was placed on the IL with a "low-grade" hamstring strain but on Monday said he was in "tip-top" shape and was doing agility drills. 

Meanwhile, Walker Lockett -- who started in Syndergaard's place on Thursday -- will make another start on Tuesday against Philadelphia. 

The Mets (36-40, 8.0 GB in NL East, 4.0 GB of second Wild Card) continue their four-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon at 2:20 on SNY.

Here's what happened on Friday, in case you missed it...

Jeff McNeil led the way for the Mets with three RBI in a 5-4 win over the Cubs. >> Read more

Phil Regan may be 82 years old, but there is a reason the Mets are sticking with him as their new pitching coach. 

Regan has already appears to be imparting some of his wisdom on closer Edwin Diaz. 

Diaz recorded the save in Friday's 5-4 win over the Cubs by pitching a perfect ninth inning while striking out the final two batters. Afterwards, Regan said he had been working with Diaz a little bit in the bullpen and helped him make an adjustment. 

"There's no doubt in my mind, he's been an All-Star this year"



Mickey Callaway expects to see Jeff McNeil in Cleveland pic.twitter.com/2I4SbqqT00

- SNY (@SNYtv) June 21, 2019

Friday afternoon was just another day at the office for Jeff McNeil.

Jeff McNeil's go-ahead RBI single in the seventh led the Mets to a 5-4 win over the Cubs on Friday at Wrigley Field. >> Box score

5 things to know from Friday's game...

1) Jeff McNeil provided the offense for the Mets as he continues to be one of the few to have an impressive road trip. He went 2-for-5 on Friday, making it four straight multi-hit games for McNeil, and it included a two-run home run to give the Mets the lead in the third and a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh that proved to be the difference in the game. 

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

It sounds new and innovative. In addition to a newly promoted pitching coach and a bullpen coach, the Mets have added a "pitching strategist," to quote Brodie Van Wagenen, to individualize game plans every day for every pitcher, based on the latest in analytical trends and information.

However, according to multiple sources, it's not really all that new either in baseball or the Mets' organization. 

Two sources, in fact, said that previous pitching coaches Dan Warthen and Rick Peterson, whose tenures spanned the period of 2003-2017, both did such work, using video and analytics, as part of their job. 

The Mets plan to keep Phil Regan as the team's pitching coach for at least the rest of the season, SNY's Andy Martino has learned. There will be no interviews or search for a replacement. 

Regan, 82, was named the interim pitching coach on Thursday after the team fired Dave Eiland, along with bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez. 

He had been working in the Mets farm system as a roving pitching coach, concentrating on the lower levels of the minor leauges. 

The Mets are facing the Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago.

Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is having a historic rookie season, but trails significantly in All Star Game voting, nowhere near the top three of Josh Bell, Freddie Freeman, or Anthony Rizzo.

The top three will advance to the next round of voting as the starter is determined. Alonso, in fifth place with just over 319,000 votes per the latest update, is over 600,000 votes shy of Rizzo. 

The fact that Alonso trails by that much is simple -- Mets fans aren't voting enough, and fans of Bell, Freeman, and Rizzo are.

The Mets (35-40, 9.0 GB in NL East) are back at Wrigley Field for a Friday matinee as they take on the Cubs (41-33, 1.5 GA in NL Central) at 2:20 p.m.

Mets notes

The Mets dropped the opener of the four-game series and are now 5-14 in their last 19 road games and are 7-22 at Wrigley Field since 2010....While the Mets have struggled on the road, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso have not. McNeil is hitting .361 with 18 runs scored, 12 doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI away from Citi Field while Alonso has a .297 average. Alonso also homered on Thursday night, his 25th of the season, which is second in the MLB. 

The Mets fired a few coaches on Thursday. Big deal. For the team's rookie general manager, decisions await that are far more consequential.

The reshuffling of pitching coaches -- Dave Eiland and Chuck Hernandez fired, Phil Regan, Ricky Bones and Jeremy Accardo promoted on an interim basis -- was a small and easy move. Eiland and Hernandez were old-school, not as sensitive to analytics or millennial sensitivities as the Mets needed them to be, and won't be particularly missed.

Over the next weeks and months, Brodie Van Wagenen will confront issues far more complex and meaningful. The direction of his team will flow from his response to the following questions:

The Mets (35-40, 9.0 GB in NL East, 5.0 GB of second Wild Card) continue their four-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon at 2:20 on SNY.

Here's what happened on Thursday, in case you missed it...

In the Mets' 7-4 loss to the Cubs, Pete Alonso mashed his 25th homer but Walker Lockett got destroyed in the third inning >> Read more

The Cubs jumped on Walker Lockett in the third inning, holding on to beat the Mets 7-4. >> Box score

4 things to know from Thursday's game...

1) Lockett didn't allow a hit through the first two innings of his Mets debut, but he ran into some trouble in the third. A Daniel Descalso RBI single got the Cubs on the board. A couple of batters later, Kris Bryant blooped an RBI hit, followed by an Anthony Rizzo two-run double. Just like that, the Mets trailed 4-3.A Javy Baez triple made it a 5-3 game, and that would finish Lockett's night, as he was pulled for Brooks Pounders. 

The Mets decided to shake things up with their coaching staff on Thursday, firing pitching coach Dave Eiland and bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez. Eiland joined the Mets last year and his departure was definitely felt by the pitching staff.

Jacob deGrom credited Eiland, 52, for playing a significant role in his success last season that helped the right-hander win the NL Cy Young award and that the pitching coach informed deGrom personally of the news. 

"Dave called me and I told him, thank you for everything you did," deGrom said before Thursday's game against the Cubs. "I'm going to miss him. He helped me out quite a bit last year. I'm thankful for the time that I had with him."

Pete Alonso's power surge continued on Thursday.

With the Mets leading 1-0 in the third, Alonso smashed his 25th home run of the season, a two-run shot to put the Mets up 3-0. He is now just one away from the Mets' rookie record.

The Mets (35-39, 8.5 GB in NL East) begin a four-game set in Chicago with the Cubs (40-33, 0.5 GA in NL Central) on Thursday night at 8:05 PM on SNY.

Mets notes

The Mets are just 5-13 in their last 18 road games. ... Against NL Central opponents this season, the Mets are just 5-12 overall and 1-5 on the road. ... Mets relievers have allowed a run in nine of the team's last 10 games, posting an 8.20 ERA during that span.

Noting the respect he and the organization has for outgoing pitching coach Dave Eiland, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen explained Thursday why Eiland was fired as part of a bigger series of moves that included the creation of the new position of "pitching strategist."

"As we evaluated the season so far, we have fallen short of a variety of things as a team, and we all have to look ourselves in the mirror for that shortcoming," Van Wagenen said Thursday at Wrigley Field. "And we have to make the best decisions we can in that moment to improve our stock."

Those decisions were the firing of Eiland and bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez, and the interim hires of Phil Regan (pitching coach), Ricky Bones (bullpen coach), and Jeremy Accardo (pitching strategist).

After firing pitching coach Dave Eiland, the Mets will be replacing him with Phil Regan, who had been working for the organization in the minors.

Regan, 82, was working as a roving pitching coach who was usually focused on the lower levels of the minors.

Regan had a 13-year big league career (with the Tigers, Dodgers, Cubs, and White Sox) before getting into coaching. He has coached and managed at various collegiate and professional levels since 1973, including a stint as the Orioles manager in 1995 and serving as pitching coach for the Mets' High-A affiliate from 2009 to 2015.

The Mets have fired pitching coach Dave Eiland, SNY's Andy Martino confirmed.

Eiland will be replaced by Phil Regan, according to Martino. 

Along with Eiland, the team has also fired bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He will be replaced by Ricky Bones, according to Mike Puma.

Mets SS prospect Ronny Mauricio is holding his own this season as an 18-year-old in Low-A Columbia. With plus potential on both sides of the ball, Mauricio will likely be ranked as the Mets' No. 1 prospect sooner rather than later...

The Skinny

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 166 lbs

Number seven in our countdown of the 10 greatest home runs at Citi Field, Kirk Nieuwenhuis hits not one, not two, but three homers in a game, becoming the first Met at Citi Field to hit three home runs in one game! Keep following along as we celebrate another season of Citi Community home runs benefitting @NoKidHungry!

The Mets (35-39, 8.5 GB in NL East, 4.5 GB of second Wild Card) open a four-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday night at 8:05 on SNY.

Here's what happened on Wednesday, in case you missed it...

In the Mets' 7-2 loss to the Braves, Steven Matz held Atlanta in check until the sixth inning before faltering >> Read more

A controversial coaching decision swung the momentum back into Atlanta's favor on Wednesday night.

With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning, the Mets started a one-out rally. J.D. Davis and Todd Frazier notched a pair of singles, putting the Mets in prime position to take the lead.

Wilson Ramos then looped a single to right field, and with Braves right fielder Charlie Culberson playing the ball on a hop, Mets third base coach Gary DiSarcina aggressively waved Davis home. The throw beat Davis in plenty of time, and despite a leaping effort from the Mets' left fielder, he was out at home plate.

Things fell apart for Steven Matz and the Mets in the sixth inning on Wednesday in Atlanta, as they fell to the Braves 7-2.  >> Box score

5 things to know from Wednesday's game...

1) The Braves jumped on Matz right out of the gates. In the first inning, Dansby Swanson roped a single to center, followed by a two-run shot from Freddie Freeman. The Mets had given Matz an early 1-0 lead, but the lefty couldn't shut down the Braves in the bottom half of the first. He rebounded to keep the Braves quiet for the next four innings, but a Josh Donaldson two-run home run broke a tie and gave the Braves the lead for good.

With the Mets trailing 2-1 in the fourth inning on Wednesday against Atlanta, Wilson Ramos doubled to keep the inning alive. The next batter, Amed Rosario, lined a ball to center field that was misplayed off the bat.

Rosario was thrown out at third base, but his double tied the game at 2-2 ...

The Mets (35-38, 7.5 GB in NL East) wrap up their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves (43-31, 3.0 game lead in NL East) on Wednesday at 7:20 p.m. at SunTrust Park. 

Mets notes

The Mets are 3-6 in rubber games this season, though they have won each of their last two. ... The Mets have slugged 27 home runs during the month of June, tied for the third-most in the National League. ... Michael Conforto has strung together a nine-game hitting streak, driving in six runs with a pair of homers during that span. 

Doug Williams and Andy Martino drop a new episode of Shea Anything, and take a look at a crucial road trip that could define the season for the Mets.  

They also examine the trade value of Zack Wheeler, wonder whether it's worth it to even deal him, and look behind the power numbers behind Pete Alonso's rookie season so far. 

Although Noah Syndergaard says his hamstring injury is fairly minor, he will have to miss at least one start while on the IL. In his place Thursday, 25-year-old Walker Lockett is expected to make his first start as a Met.

The Mets acquired Lockett this past offseason from Cleveland in the Kevin Plawecki trade. Lockett had a cup of coffee in the big leagues last year for the Padres, which didn't go well in a small sample size (four games, 9.60 ERA).

Lockett's minor league profile shows he can help the Mets by pitching in a different way than most of the other pitchers on the team do. Lockett has a 53.7 percent ground ball rate for his minor league career, which is higher than any pitcher on the Mets right now. This extreme ground ball approach means that Lockett doesn't give up too many home runs, which would be a welcome change for the Mets' staff if he can keep it up at the big-league level.

Who is the best-dressed guy in the Mets' starting rotation? The angriest? The toughest competitor? Jacob deGrom tells all...

With news Tuesday that Brandon Nimmo will be shut down for 30 days came a potential new outfield alignment for the Mets -- one that could provide the team with an offensive jolt while sacrificing defense.

Manager Mickey Callaway said that with Nimmo now out long-term, a change could be coming in center field. And that change would have a ripple effect throughout the rest of the outfield and open up playing time for hot-hitting Dominic Smith.

Here's how things could shake out with each impacted player...

Needing someone to fill Noah Syndergaard's spot in the rotation after hitting the IL, it looks like the Mets are dipping into their farm system. 

According to The Post's Mike Puma, Walker Lockett will make his Mets debut in a spot start for Syndergaard on Thursday when New York opens up a four-game series against the Cubs. 

Lockett has made four appearances (three starts) in Triple-A Syracuse this season, and has done well with a 3.28 ERA over 24.2 innings. His latest outing came on June 13, where he allowed two earned on six hits (one homer) while striking out four and walking one over 5.2 innings...

The Mets (35-38, 7.5 GB in NL East, 4.5 GB of second Wild Card) wrap up their three-game series against the Braves on Wednesday night in Atlanta at 7:20 on SNY.

Here's what happened on Tuesday, in case you missed it...

In the Mets' 10-2 win over the Braves, Jacob deGrom was dominant and came close to a shutout, while Pete Alonso went off at the plate >> Read more

On a night where the Mets needed a spark, two of their leaders delivered in a huge way.

Jacob deGrom pitched one of his best games of the season, while Pete Alonso helped supply the power in the Mets' 10-2 victory over Atlanta.

It was a bit of a tumultuous day for the Mets, as they held a full team meeting not long before first pitch. The club then announced a series of roster moves to shake up the bullpen again. The Mets needed to come out and make sure they came out strong against the division-leading Braves and that's exactly what they did.

The Mets bounced back from Monday night's loss to beat the Braves in a big way, bursting out for 10 runs behind the bat of Pete Alonso while Jacob deGrom pitched deep into the game of a 10-2 win on Tuesday at SunTrust Park. >> Box score

5 things to know from Tuesday's game...

1) Pete Alonso was not messing around this game. The Mets slugger went 4-for-4 with two walks and had three RBI, including an RBI double in the third and a two-run home run in the fourth inning -- his 24th of the season, which is second-best in the MLB. He has 24 extra-base hits with an exit velocity of at least 108 mph, which is seven more than the next best -- Gary Sanchez of the Yankees with 17. 

On Tuesday night, MLB Pipeline released its new list of the top 100 prospects in baseball.

Three Mets made the updated list: SS Andres Gimenez (#59), SS Ronny Mauricio (#83), and LHP Anthony Kay (#96).

Gimenez was the only Met on last year's edition of the Top 100 list, falling from number 55 to number 59 on this year's list. Mauricio and Kay are appearing on the list for the first time.

Pete Alonso is at it again.

The rookie slammed his 24th home run of the season on Tuesday night against the Braves. 

His third extra-base hit of the night, Alonso's blast extended the Mets' lead to 6-0 ...

The Mets desperately need bullpen help, but it appears they were dealt another setback in making that happen. 

Justin Wilson, who has been on the IL since early May with elbow soreness, was scratched from his rehab assignment on Tuesday due to left elbow tightness, the Mets announced. 

Wilson, 31, was close to returning to the majors, rehabbing with Triple-A Syracuse since last week. It is still unclear just how significant of a setback this may be. 

The bad news just keeps on coming for the Mets. 

Jeurys Familia is heading back to the IL with a Bennett lesion in his right shoulder -- the same injury that placed him on the list last time around -- the team announced before Tuesday's contest with the Braves. 

Manager Mickey Callaway was asked about Familia's health on Tuesday, and he didn't give a straight answer...