In the wake of the Mets trading first baseman Lucas Duda, the team will not promote their No. 2 prospect, Dominic Smith, on Friday night when the team opens a weekend series against the Mariners in Seattle, SNY contributor Adam Rubin said on Twitter.

Smith, who is hitting .337/.390/.524 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI in 102 games with Triple-A Las Vegas, is considered the organization's No. 2 prospect according to MLB.com and Baseball America, and the second-best first base prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com...

INF Neil Walker and OF Brandon Nimmo, but not Triple-A Las Vegas 1B Dominic Smith, are expected to join the Mets on Friday for the start of their series against the Mariners in Seattle, according to SNY contributor Adam Rubin.

The Mets traded 1B Lucas Duda to the Rays on Thursday night for reliever Drew Smith, with Jay Bruce getting the start at first base against the Padres.

Dominic Smith, 22, is hitting .337 with a .390 OBP and .524 SLG with 15 HR, 30 doubles, and 68 RBI in 102 games this season for Las Vegas.

The Mets likely want to showcase Bruce and OF Curtis Granderson between now and the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, meaning a callup of Dominic Smith will likely have to wait.

The Mets traded first baseman Lucas Duda to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitching prospect Drew Smith, the team announced prior to Thursday's loss to the Padres.

Smith, a projected late-game reliever, is 1-2 with a 1.60 ERA in 31 appearances this season between Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He has spent most of the season pitching for Single-A Charlotte.

He will report to Double-A Binghamton, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Mets RHP Robert Gsellman, who has been out since June 28 due to a hamstring injury, began a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Thursday, allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one in 2/3 of an inning.

Gsellman left his start on June 27 against the Marlins in the fourth inning after suffering a left hamstring strain while running to first base.

The 24-year-old Gsellman has a 6.16 ERA and 1.62 WHIP and has allowed 97 hits while sgtriking out 57 and walking 26 in 76.0 innings (14 starts, three relief appearances) this season.

He had a 2.42 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 44 2/3 innings (seven starts, one relief appearance) in 2016, during what was his rookie season.

The Mets, who lost last night to the Padres and traded Lucas Duda to the Rays, have dropped three of their last five games to dip back to six games below .500. With three days until the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, they trail the Rockies by eight losses for the final Wild Card spot...

The Brewers are interested in acquiring Curtis Granderson, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Earlier in the day, FanRag.com's Jon Heyman said on Twitter that teams have started showing interest in Granderson, who has 13 home runs and is still owed roughly $7 million. He will be a free agent after this season.

As of July 25, Jay Bruce was still not drawing significant interest from teams looking to trade for an outfielder, a source told Newsday's Marc Carig.

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

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

1) Chris Flexen allowed a homer to the first batter he faced and was charged with four runs on five hits, four walks and a hit-by-pitch while fanning two in three innings in his Major League debut.

2) Jay Bruce hit his team-leading 26th homer -- a two-run blast to pull New York within 7-5 in the ninth -- and drove in three runs. Yoenis Cespedes had an RBI double while Michael Conforto, Asdrubal Cabrera and Mark Reynolds had two hits apiece.

3) Reliever Tyler Pill allowed a three-run home run to Dusty Coleman -- the first of his career -- to put the Mets in a 7-1 hole.

In this week's Meet the MetsCast, Matthew Cerrone, comedian Steve Hofstetter and SiriusXM's Rob Brender discuss true things about the 2017 Mets that can't possibly be true, but are true, as well as

• The idea outcome for this year's non-waiver trade deadline...
• Returns for Reed, Bruce, Duda, Granderson and Cabrera...
• Our favorite hyped prospects in Mets history...

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

For more of The Amazin' Life presented by Coca-Cola, CLICK HERE.

The Mets (47-52) will wrap up their series with the San Diego Padres (44-57) tonight at 9:10 p.m. at Petco Park on SNY.

A scout for one interested team is worried that Mets manager Terry Collins has overused RH reliever Addison Reed, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

However, Crasnick -- who said Reed is drawing lots of interest -- cited another evaluator who said Reed is "pretty freaking good and very durable."

Reed, who is eligible for free agency after the season, has a 2.63 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 48.0 innings (47 games) this season.

Mets second baseman Neil Walker started at third base Wednesday during a rehab game with Triple-A Las Vegas, according to MLB.com.

Walker, who has only played second base for the Mets, has played just 15 games at third base during his nine-year career. His last appearance at third was in 2010 for the Pirates.

"We just want to protect ourselves," manager Terry Collins said when asked about the potential position switch. "We want to make sure we cover all the bases. We talked to Neil about it and he was fine with it."

After dealing with nagging leg injuries this season, Yoenis Cespedes wants to change his workout regimen in a way that focuses on him being a more athletic player, he told the New York Post. 

Cespedes, who has spent time on the disabled list with hamstring and quad injuries, wants to focus less on the weight training he put an emphasis on this offseason.

"I want to become more flexible, more athletic, have less bulk [in my legs]," Cespedes told the Post. "I want to do less weight lifting. I'm going to do some different things, I want to do yoga, more stretching. I want to be lighter. I want to come back around 210, lose about 15 pounds.''

Mets LHP Steven Matz struggled again on Wednesday night as he allowed six runs on nine hits while walking none and striking out four in 3.0 innings against the Padres.

Matz has allowed 21 runs on 34 hits in 13 1/3 innings over his last four starts as his ERA has risen from 2.12 to 5.51.

"I feel like every time I miss my spot by a few inches, they're just killing it," Matz said after Wednesday night's game. "They're getting the barrel on it and they're crushing it. It does catch me by surprise, because I've missed my pitches before. But I think there's just a sharpness that I'm lacking a little bit right now, and I've got to get back to it."

The Mets, who lost last night to the Padres, are 16-11 since late June, but remain five games under .500. 

With four days until the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, they are 13 games behind the Nationals in the NL East and seven losses back of the Rockies for the final Wild Card spot. 

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

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

1) Steven Matz allowed six runs on nine hits with no walks and four strikeouts in three innings to lose for the third time in four starts. The 26-year-old surrendered a two-run homer to Manny Margot in the first and a yielded four more runs in the third -- three on Luis Torrens' triple.

2) Jose Reyes drove in two runs on a single and a bases loaded walk. Wilmer Flores launched a solo homer in the eighth, his 11th of the year and third in four games. Rene Rivera was robbed of at least one RBI with a diving stop by Padres shortstop Allen Cordoba with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth.

3) Erik Goeddel, Tyler Pill and Hansel Robles combined to strike out seven over five one-hit innings of relief.

The Mets (47-51) play the third game of a four-game set with the San Diego Padres (43-57) on Wednesday at Petco Park at 10:10 p.m. on SNY.

Chris Flexen, who will start in place on the injured Zack Wheeler on Thursday against the Padres, said he's excited to make his first Major League start. 

"I don't think it will be too difficult," Flexen told reporters Wednesday. "The hardest thing is to manage the emotions. Everything is going to be heightened at the moment.

"Like he said whatever got me here, stick with it. That's been being confident, attacking guys and that's what I am going to go out and do. Just stick to the game plan."

Mets prospects Amed Rosario, Dominic Smith and David Peterson top the organization's mid-season prospect list, according to a recent report published by Baseball America...

Sixth-round pick Marcel Renteria's family has a history of high-level baseball play. One uncle, Gil Heredia, pitched for 10 seasons in the majors, primarily with Montreal and Oakland. Another uncle, Dave Oropeza, pitched for two seasons in the minors with the Expos before his career was sidetracked by Tommy John surgery.

Renteria, a 5-foot-11 right-hander, so far has made three relief appearances with the Brooklyn Cyclones since being drafted by the Mets in June.

He went a combined 12-7 with a 4.76 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 165 strikeouts in 158 2/3 innings in two seasons at New Mexico State while primarily working as a starter.

The Cubs are among several teams that have expressed interest in trading for RHP Seth Lugo, but the Mets are not motivated to trade him, sources recently told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

According to Crasnick, the Cubs love Lugo's spin rate and believe he has "breakout potential."

Lugo, 27, missed the first two months of this season due to a torn UCL in his pitching elbow that he rehabbed and is pitching through in an effort to avoid Tommy John surgery.

The Cubs have interest in acquiring Mets C Rene Rivera, the NY Post's Mike Puma tweeted July 25.

In addition to the Cubs, the Rockies are also looking to upgrade at catcher, according to MLB.com.

The Rockies have started asking about Jonathan Lucroy (Rangers), Kurt Suzuki (Braves) and Alex Avila (Tigers), all of whom are reportedly available in trade.

The Red Sox reportedly had interest in trading for Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera.

However, they instead acquired 3B Eduardo Nunez from the Giants in exchange for RH pitching prospects Shaun Anderson and Gregory Santos, the two teams announced Tuesday.

Nevertheless, by twice playing third base this week, "a solid market has developed for Cabrera, leading to optimism that the Mets may find a trade partner before the deadline," sources told Newsday's Marc Carig.

The Mariners and Indians remain among multiple teams interested in Cabrera, a major league source said July 25, according to NY Post reporter Mike Puma.

Yoenis Cespedes was removed before the eighth inning Tuesday after legging out a triple, and sprinting home, on what he later described a 'Little League home run.'

Prior to leaving the game, Cespedes hit a triple, double and a home run, scored twice and drove in three runs, as Mets defeated the Padres, 6-5, in San Diego.

"I'm not too worried," Cespedes later said of his sore legs. "I don't think it's going to be an impediment for playing tomorrow."

The Mets have won eight of their last 12 games, and six of their last seven, including a 6-5 win against the Padres last night in San Diego.

However, with five days until the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, they remain under .500, 12 back of the Nationals and seven losses back of the Rockies for the last Wild Card spot.

Mets closer Jeurys Familia will soon throw off a mound, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Familia started a throwing program in Port. St. Lucie earlier this month and Mets manager Terry Collins said he will return this season.

The 27-year-old underwent surgery in May after suffering an arterial blood clot in his right shoulder. He went 1-1 with three saves and a 3.86 ERA before he was placed on the 60-day disabled list.

Familia also missed 15 games to start the season after he was suspended for violating the league's domestic violence policy.

The Mets (46-51) play the second game of a four-game set with the San Diego Padres (43-56) on Tuesday at Petco Park at 10:10 p.m. on SNY

Who is starting tonight for the Mets? 

Seth Lugo (4.05 ERA/3.87 FIP, 1.35 WHIP ) who earned a no-decision in his last outing against the Cardinals. He allowed just one run on four hits while striking out five and walking one in 6.2 innings. 

Lugo owns a 4.73 ERA while on the road compared to a 3.15 home ERA. He has had a good start to the second half of the season, posting a 2.70 ERA and .220 opponent batting average in 13.1 innings. 

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

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

1) Yoenis Cespedes hit a tie-breaking triple and scored on a throwing error by Padres first baseman Wil Myers during the same sequence in the seventh. The Mets' outfielder also delivered an RBI double and slugged a solo homer in the opening frame, his first long ball in 87 at-bats dating back to June 23. Cespedes left the game as a precaution following the top of the seventh after feeling tightness in his quad.

2) New York fell behind 3-1 but rallied to tie the game on RBI doubles by Cespedes in the fourth and Asdrubal Cabrera in the fifth. Travis d'Arnaud's run-scoring single plated Cabrera to give the Mets a brief 4-3 lead. Curtis Granderson reached base three times on a single, double and a walk.

Mets prospect Amed Rosario could be called up to the major leagues within the next week or just after the trade deadline, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

Rosario went 1-for-4 on Monday in his first game since July 17 after recovering from gastroenteritis and dehydration. The 21-year-old is hitting .329 with seven home runs, 55 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases in 88 games for Triple-A Las Vegas this season.

Mets SS Jose Reyes recorded the 500th stolen bases of his career when he swiped second during the eighth inning Monday night against the Padres in San Diego.

Immediately after the game, as the team congratulated itself for defeating the Padres, Reyes unlocked second base and kept it as a souvenir.

Mets RHP Zack Wheeler has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a stress reaction in his right arm, the team announced Monday.

"I sort of expected bumps in the road coming back this year," Wheeler, who missed the previous two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, told reporters on Monday. "It's just unfortunate because everything else feels awesome -- elbow, shoulder, everything feels great. And that's why it's so frustrating for me. The surgery repair feels great. This is something stupid and small that I can't help. I just want to go out there and pitch, but this is holding me back for a bit."

Wheeler said only the bone was irritated as opposed to a fracture. The team has not yet given a timetable for when Wheeler would return, however Wheeler told reporters he would take matters slowly.

The July 31 non-waiver trade deadline is six days away. And given the Mets still trail by double digits in the division and wild-card races, it's unquestionable they will be sellers.

Who exactly will go? Here's a list of nine contenders, from most to least likely...

With less than a week until the trade deadline, Jay Bruce is still not drawing significant interest from teams looking to acquire an outfielder, a source recently told Newsday's Marc Carig.

Bruce, 30, is tied for fourth in the National League with 25 home runs putting him on pace to hit 42 this season, which would be the most of his career.

He is due roughly $5 million through the rest of this season, after which he will be a free agent.

This season, Verizon customers can enter to win unique baseball experiences to every Tuesday Night Baseball home game... all you need is a current Verizon Wireless or Verizon Fios account!

It's better baseball from the Better Network.

To enter, go to SNY.TV/VERIZON or click here for more information...

The Mets are now five games below .500 after winning seven of their last 11 games.

With six days until the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, they are eight losses back of the Rockies for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.

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

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

1) Jacob deGrom allowed two runs on five hits over eight innings to win his eighth consecutive start. The right-hander walked two and struck out eight, including the first four batters of the game.

2) Jay Bruce drove in two runs and Wilmer Flores homered for the second time in three games. Yoenis Cespedes had an RBI triple and Travis d'Arnaud delivered a run-scoring single. Asdrubal Cabrera (3-for-4, BB), Lucas Duda (2-for-4, 2B) and Bruce (2-for-4) paced New York's 12-hit effort.

The non-waiver trade deadline is on July 31, with the Mets expected to make a flurry of moves between now and then.

Addison Reed, Jay Bruce, Lucas Duda, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Curtis Granderson, among others, could be on the move this year. 

As we await the Mets' potential moves, here are the five biggest trade deadline deals in team history...

Mets LHP David Peterson, the team's first-round pick in the 2017 draft, was ranked New York's No. 3 prospect in Baseball America's midseason top 10 and in MLB.com's midseason prospect rankings.

Shortstop Amed Rosario, who was ranked MLB.com's No. 2 overall prospect and Baseball America's No. 4 overall prospect, was ranked the organization's top prospect by both outlets.

First baseman Dominic Smith was ranked the No. 2 prospect by both outlets, the No. 41 overall by MLB.com and No. 49 overall by Baseball America. RHP Justin Dunn was ranked fourth in the organization (No. 100 overall by Baseball America).

Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and played seven innings in center field in the first game of his rehab assignment from a partially collapsed lung.

Nimmo, who last played in a game July 4, was cleared last week to take batting practice. He was hospitalized and underwent X-rays during New York's road trip to St. Louis after he complained about how he felt.

He said earlier this month he wasn't sure what caused the partially collapsed lung.

Nimmo was hitting .350 with no home runs and two RBIs in 15 games with the Mets this season. In the minors, he was hitting .223 with four home runs and 20 RBIs.

The Mets embark on a 10-game road trip beginning with a four-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Monday at 10:10 p.m.

Who is starting tonight for the Mets? 

Jacob deGrom (11-3, 3.37 ERA) looks to win his eighth straight start. He has pitched at least seven innings in six of his past seven starts, going 7-0 with a 1.51 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings in that span.

DeGrom is 5-1 with a 4.63 ERA in nine road starts, however he is 6-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 10 starts at Citi Field. He has faced the Padres three times in his MLB career, going 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA.

Mets top prospect Amed Rosario went 1-for-4 with an RBI double as he returned to the Las Vegas 51s' lineup on Monday for the first time since July 17 due to a stomach issue.

Rosario was hospitalized Saturday due to gastroenteritis and dehydration, but had been recovering Sunday, 51s manager Pedro Lopez told the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Betsy Helfand. The issue was likely related to something Rosario had eaten earlier in the week, according to Helfand.

Rosario, 21, is hitting .330 with seven home runs and 53 RBIs in 87 games with Triple-A Las Vegas this season. He was ranked the Mets' top organizational prospect and the No. 4 prospect in the game in Baseball America's midseason top 100.

The Mets signed RHP Jonathan Albaladejo to a minor-league deal on Monday, the team announced.

Albaladejo, who last pitched in the majors in 2012, will report to and start for Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

The 34-year-old Albaladejo had seven wins, a 4.44 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 99 1/3 innings for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League.

In Albaladejo's MLB career, which began in 2007, he went 6-3 with a 4.34 ERA in 66 relief appearances, pitching for the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks.

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.

For each Mets home run at Citi Field this season, Citi has pledged to donate $2,000 to No Kid Hungry. Every dollar donated provides 10 healthy meals, meaning each Citi donation provides up to 20,000 meals to kids in need in NYC and throughout the U.S. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/onedollar.

Jose Reyes told the NY Post's Ethan Sears that he is excited to see the Mets eventually promote top SS prospect Amed Rosario, despite them playing the same position.

"He's a good friend of mine," Reyes told Sears. "We speak on the phone almost every day, so I'd say we have a very good relationship."

In 87 games with Las Vegas this season, Rosario is hitting .330 with seven home runs and 53 RBI. He had been batting .435 during his last 10 games, after which he's missed roughly a week due to a bruised finger and stomach illness.

According to Reyes, he and Rosario talk more about life than baseball...

US Marine Corps Sgt. Robert Reilly was Sunday's First Data Veteran of the Game at Citi Field. 

Click here to see all of the veterans the Mets honor throughout the season.

Mets prospect OF Tim Tebow homered for High-A St. Lucie on Sunday -- his fourth homer since being promoted from Low-A Columbia.

Click below to watch

Michael Conforto has increased his playing time in center field and would not mind playing the position over an extended period, he told the New York Daily News. 

"I think as long as I can play there, I would definitely enjoy playing there. If you're asking me, I'd love to play out there every day. It'd be awesome," Conforto said Saturday. "But I don't know what the plans are for me or for the team moving forward. I guess from my standpoint all I can do is try to play as well as I can out there, show that I can cover some ground and be effective out there. But I definitely enjoy playing out there, that's for sure. So we'll see what happens."