The Mets (67-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 1.5 GB of second Wild Card) open a three-game series with the Braves at Citi Field on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY. 

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

Noah Syndergaard took a perfect game into the sixth inning and Wilson Ramos provided the offense as the Mets won a rain-shortened game against the Indians on Thursday night at Citi Field to complete a three-game sweep >> Read more

The day after Marcus Stroman left his start before the fifth inning due to hamstring tightness, the Mets have called up Chris Flexen, who could potentially slide into the rotation if Stroman is unable to make his next start.

To make room on the 25-man roster, Ruben Tejada was DFA'd as the Mets reverted to a four-man bench.

Flexen, who the Mets used out of the bullpen earlier this season after also using him as a starter, had been working as a reliever with Triple-A Syracuse since June 12. But he returned to the rotation on Aug. 10 -- making two starts since then.

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

With the Mets in the heat of the playoff chase, they have kept their heads above water despite being without some key offensive pieces lately. That looks like it's about to change.

As key players start to return, the Mets will have to clear room on the 25-man roster for each and map out a plan of attack regarding who plays regularly and what the lineup should be (and whether the lineup should be static or malleable).

This is a good problem to have, but there are some tough decisions coming.  

The Mets fell to the Braves 6-4 on Wednesday night at SunTrust Park. >> Box score

Six Takeaways from Wednesday's game...

1) Steven Matz was tremendous for the Mets on Wednesday night. He got into some trouble in the second inning, allowing an RBI double to Ender Inciarte, but outside of that inning, he made easy work of the Braves' lineup. The lefty allowed just two hits, striking out five. His night came to a close after six innings and 79 pitches, a questionable decision by Mickey Callaway to turn things over to the pen. Matz also helped himself with two hits of his own.

Overshadowing the Mets' loss to the Braves on Tuesday night in Atlanta was the sight of Jeff McNeil pulling up lame and grabbing his hamstring after trying to leg out an infield hit in the ninth inning.

McNeil walked off the field with a noticeable limp and said after the game that he "felt a little snag" and was hoping it was just a cramp.

But while the Mets got good news after McNeil's MRI, he has been placed on the 10-day IL. 

The Mets (61-58, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB in Wild Card) continue a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves (71-50, 6.0 GA in NL East) on Wednesday night at 7:20 p.m. at SunTrust Park.

Mets Notes

The Mets placed Jeff McNeil on the 10-day IL before Wednesday's game. ... Ruben Tejada is making his first appearance in the Mets lineup since the 2015 postseason. ... The Mets are just 4-7 against the Braves this season, but still have a winning record overall against the NL East.

The Mets have launched themselves back in to a pennant race, which has opened the floodgates for questions about the current roster, schedule and missing players.

Here are four from Twitter, followed by my answers....

In the middle of the Mets' surge that has them back in contention came extremely bad news about Robinson Cano.

Right as he was getting hot at the plate (9-for-15 with four doubles and a homer in four games), Cano went down with a hasmtring injury. It was later confirmed that the hamstring injury was a tear, which means that Cano's season could possibly be over.

Since Cano's injury, the Mets have used Jeff McNeil, Luis Guillorme, and Adeiny Hechavarria at second base. Aside from those three are options in the minors (Dilson Herrera, Ruben Tejada) and the recently DFA'd Joe Panik.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

During the "Shea Anything" podcast taping on Wednesday, colleague Doug Williams reminded me of the most offensive thing that Chase Utley has ever done in public -- and no, it wasn't breaking Ruben Tejada's leg.

Doug noted that, during a WFAN appearance earlier this year, the former Phillies great said "See ya, sweetheart" to caller Cali from Connecticut. This was a truly icky comment, out of step with both contemporary standards and basic decency (Cali was busy telling Utley how "annoying" he was, but you still don't say "sweetheart").

Mets fans do not disparage Utley for the casual misogyny in his vocab, though. They hate him because of one late slide in the playoffs, and a history of aggressive play that they would have loved had Utley been on their side.

The New York Yankees traded infielder Ruben Tejada to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations, the team announced Sunday.

The Yankees signed Tejada, 27, in December and assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following spring training.

He was hitting .269 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in 37 games in the minors this season.

Last year, he hit .167 with no home runs and five RBIs in 36 games with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.

Yankees SS Didi Gregorius will begin a throwing program and then, barring any further issues, he will start a rehab assignment, Joe Girardi told reporters Wednesday.

The Yankees have reassigned infielders Ruben Tejada and Donovan Solano, and catcher Wilkin Castillo to minor league camp, the team announced Monday.

The 27-year-old Tejada, who signed a minor league deal this offseason, had been on the outskirts of the race for the starting shortstop job with Didi Gregorius expected to be out until at least May...

With the loss of starting shortstop Didi Gregorius, the Yankees are showing interest in the Reds' Zack Cozart, the Tigers' Jose Iglesias and the Diamondbacks Nick Ahmed as potential replacements, NJ.com's Brendan Kuty reports.

Gregorius injured his shoulder while playing for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic and could miss all of April.

While the Yankees spoke with the Reds and Tigers about Cozart and Iglesias respectively, they said they weren't prepared to trade for either, reports George A. King III of the NY Post.

The Yankees scored six times in the sixth inning and held on to defeat the Braves, 8-7, Thursday afternoon at Champion Stadium.

• Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-3 with two stolen bases while Miguel Tejada added two hits and an RBI.
• Brett Gardner led off the game with his first home run of the spring.
• Prospect Tyler Wade went 2-for-3 and his hitting .471 (8-for-19) this spring.
• Michael Pineda got the start and allowed two runs on three hits with no walks and one strikeout in three innings.
• Seven different Yankees drove in runs, led by Francisco Diaz's two RBIs.

Next Up:

The Yankees travel to Clearwater to face the Phillies at Bright House Field on Friday at 1:05 p.m. Luis Cessa will make his second start of the spring. 

The Yankees beat the Rays, 7-6, in 10 innings on Tuesday afternoon in Tampa.

Entering the bottom of the 10th trailing 6-4, the Yankees got a sacrifice fly from Ruben Tejada, followed by an RBI ground-rule double by Rashad Crawford and run-scoring single by Tyler Wade to win, 7-6.

• CC Sabathia made his first start of Spring Training, tossing two scorelss innings while allowing two hits, one walk, and striking out two.
• Adam Warren allowed two runs on four hits (including two home runs) while walking one and striking out none in three innings. Warren, who is battling for a spot in the starting rotation, has a 3.38 ERA this spring.

INF Ruben Tejada is in Yankees camp on a minor league deal, trying to win a spot on the bench.

"I'm very happy to be here, and grateful they gave me the opportunity to come here and work," Tejada said, according to Greg Auman of Newsday. "It's an opportunity to work hard to win a spot on the roster. It's a chance to be in the big leagues."

Tejada, 27, hit .167 with a .247 OBP and .242 SLG in 36 games split between the Cardinals and Giants last season.

In 2015, he hit .261 with a .338 OBP and .350 SLG in 116 games for the Mets.

The Yankees have signed INF Ruben Tejada to a minor league deal, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports.

Tejada, 27, will earn $1.35 million if he reaches the majors, according to FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman.

Tejada went 11-for-66 in 36 games with the Cardinals and Giants in 2016 after the Mets released him prior to the season. He had a .303/.337/.414 batting line with one home run and 21 RBIs in 43 minor league games last year.

The Mets' offense struggled mightily as they lost, 2-1, to the White Sox in 13 innings on Wednesday at Citi Field >> Read more

RH reliever Hansel Robles has a sprained right ankle, but manager Terry Collins doesn't believe it's serious >> Read more

Jacob deGrom gets the start when the Mets face Jarred Cosart and the Marlins at Tradition Field at 1:10 p.m. ET on SNY.  

In case you missed it this weekend...

3B David Wright made his Grapefruit League debut on Friday and also played on Sunday >> Read more

RHP Noah Syndergaard will start the Mets' second game of the season against the Royals >> Read more

Latest Update

Ruben Tejada has agreed to a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cardinals announced. The deal is worth $1.5 million, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

The Cardinals were in need of a shortstop after starting SS Jhonny Peralta suffered a thumb injury that required surgery a few weeks ago, and is not expected back until midseason.

Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz will both pitch for the Mets today against Jose Fernandez and the Marlins at 1 p.m. ET at Roger Dean Stadium.

DeGrom missed his last start due to back stiffness.  

In St. Lucie, David Wright is expected to be the DH in a minor league. Terry Collins recently said Wright will play in his first Grapefruit League game on Friday.

Mets infielder Ruben Tejada has been placed on waivers, multiple sources said on March 15.

In six seasons with the Mets, he hit .255 with a .330 OBP and .323 OPS, while playing mostly shortstop and second base.

Toby Hyde and Rob Brender are climbing the preseason rankings of N.L. East opponents, and this week takes them to Miami. 

Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald joins the show to deliver intel on the Marlins, including the latest on Jose Fernandez, Giancarlo Stanton, Don Mattingly, Barry Bonds, and the rest of the Fish. 

Later, Toby and Rob cover the turn for the Mets at shortstop, after Ruben Tejada was put on waivers, and check in on captain David Wright as he ramps up his activity in Port St. Lucie.

New York Mets infielder Ruben Tejada went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in Sunday's spring training win amid uncertainty regarding his role going forward with the team.

With newly-acquired shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera uncertain for opening day with a strained patellar tendon, Tejada has been the subject of trade rumors with a deep Mets infield.

The Mets have Neil Walker as the likely starting second baseman, Wilmer Flores a likely bench player and players like Matt Reynolds and Gavin Cecchini in the minors who are healthy, which would give the Mets flexibility to trade Tejada.

Before Asdrubal Cabrera strained his patellar tendon, Ruben Tejada was days away from being traded or cut, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.

Earlier in the week, a team official said it would be a "tough call" on keeping the young shortstop. But with Cabrera out at least a few weeks, Tejada is now the team's starting shortstop.

However, even if Cabrera starts the season on the disabled list, Tejada could still be traded because of New York's depth in the minors, according to ESPN New York's Adam Rubin. Rubin writes:

The Mets host the Yankees at Tradition Field at 1:10 p.m. ET. 

The game will air on SNY and can be heard on WOR 710 AM.

RHP Jacob deGrom starts for the Mets

Cardinals SS Jhonny Peralta is expected to miss two to three months with torn ligaments in his left hand, leading to speculation that St. Louis could be in the market to acquire a stop-gap middle infielder.

Peralta, 33, hit .275 with a .334 OBP and 17 home runs last season, while consistently batting in the middle of the order.

Matthew Cerrone | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | About Me

Manager Terry Collins is a former shortstop who firmly understands MLB's new rule about how middle infielders can work around second base. Initially, Collins was against the rule change, which outlaws sliding with no intent of actually touching second base. However, after meeting with Jim Leyland, Joe Torre and other league officials earlier in the week, Collins has come around.

OF Curtis Granderson left Tradition Field on Monday due to an eye issue that may be pinkeye >> Read more

INF Ruben Tejada may be in danger of being left off the Opening Day roster >> Read more

Mike Piazza joined Mets Hot Stove to talk about his time as a guest instructor at camp and more >> Watch here

Four months after having his leg notoriously broken by Chase Utley with a slide during the NLDS, there's the possibility that infielder Ruben Tejada does not make the Mets Opening Day roster, writes Matt Ehalt of NorthJersey.com.

Tejada will likely break camp with the team, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, who says it's more likely he'll be traded than released if the Mets leave him off the roster.

The Mets four infield positions currently have starters penciled in. While Wilmer Flores appears set to serve as the team's utility infielder, a role that Tejada was initially vying for on this roster before the additions of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and second baseman Neil Walker.

RHP Jacob deGrom, who skipped his bullpen session on Monday due to a sore leg, was back on the mound on Wednesday >> Read more

3B David Wright feels a bit behind schedule but isn't concerned >> Read more

Terry Collins said the Mets need to hold Wright back a bit to keep him healthy and that reliever Addison Reed needs to take the eighth-inning job >> Read more

Mets IF Ruben Tejada will be eligible for free agency after this season since the team gave him an extra day of service time as part of his recent arbitration settlement (Feb. 24).

Tejada, 26, had initially been scheduled to become a free agent after the 2017 season.

Tejada hit .261 with a .338 OBP and .350 SLG last season for the Mets.

Matt Harvey said, though the Mets haven't approached him about it, he hasn't "shied away" from the possibility of signing an extension >> Read more

Curtis Granderson reported to Spring Training and said his surgically repaired left thumb is healed >> Read more

Ruben Tejada has not spoken with Chase Utley, and said he'd like to see a new rule to protect second basemen who are turning double plays >> Read more

Ruben Tejada has still not heard directly from Chase Utley since his controversial slide in Game 2 of the NLDS broke Tejada's leg, according to Kevin Kernan of the NY Post.  

Tejada, 25, is hopefully that MLB's proposed rule change - otherwise known as The Utley Rule - will help better protect middle infielders.

"I'd like to see the fielder be protected,'' Tejada said. "It can be very dangerous. They have to make a little bit of an adjustment there.''

Mets manager Terry Collins unveiled the team's potential lineup for 2016 >> Read more

Collins expects the Mets to win the World Series this season >> Read more

How will Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes handle is opt-out clause? >> Read more

Mets infielders Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores are no longer wearing their walking boots after sustaining leg injuries, according to ESPN's Adam Rubin.

Tejada suffered a broken fibula in Game 2 of the NLDS when Dodgers infielder Chase Utley slid late and hard into second base to try and break up a double play. 

Tejada, 26, missed the rest of the playoffs after the injury, which prompted a suspension for Utley and MLB to discuss the neighborhood play at second base. Last season, Tejada hit .261 with three home runs and 28 RBIs. 

The Astros could have interest in free-agent OF Yoenis Cespedes, who the Mets have reportedly been keeping in contact with regarding a potential short-term deal >> Read more

The Mets avoided arbitration with RHP's Matt Harvey, Addison Reed, and Carlos Torres, as well as IF Ruben Tejada and LHP Josh Edgin >> Read more

RHP Zack Wheeler is continuing his rehab from Tommy John surgery and is still aiming to return to the Mets in June or July >> Read more

The Mets will avoid arbitration with Matt Harvey, Ruben Tejada, Addison Reed, Josh Edgin, Carlos Torres (Jan. 15), according to multiple reports.

Meanwhile, Neil Walker and Lucas Duda will head to arbitration (Jan. 15).

Walker is reportedly seeking $11.8 million in his first season with the Mets, and his final year before being eligible for free agency. The Mets, however, will argue for $9.4 million, according to Jon Heyman. Similarly, while Lucas Duda is requesting $7.5 million, the Mets are offering $5.9 million.

The Mets have agreed to deals with Matt Harvey and Ruben Tejada, avoiding arbitration.

Harvey will earn $4.325 million in 2016, according to Anthony DiComo (Jan. 15), while Tejada has signed for $3 million, reports Matt Ehalt (Jan. 15).

In 2015, Harvey started 29 games and posted a 2.71 ERA and 1.019 WHIP. He also posted a 3.04 ERA over four starts in the playoffs and World Series.

Mets assistant GM John Ricco spoke with the media on Thursday morning at the Winter Meetings in Nashville. Here's what we learned...

• The Mets think they addressed lots of what they had to do at the Winter Meetings, and they made some headway on other potential moves.
• The Mets have the resources to add a center fielder, bullpen piece, and starting pitcher.
• One of the reasons they acquired IF Asdrubal Cabrera was because they're trying to build a team with flexibility and depth.
• GM Sandy Alderson closed the Neil Walker trade.
• The injuries to infielders Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores are expected to be non-issues once Spring Training arrives.
• RHP Matt Bowman, who the Mets lost to the Cardinals in the Rule 5 Draft, was kept off the Mets' 40-man roster due to the fact that he had a down year.
• The Mets looked into signing free-agent LHP Tony Sipp, but never engaged.

The Mets tendered contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players, including SS Ruben Tejada and RHP Jenrry Mejia >> Read more

Along with the Mets, the Nationals, Dodgers, and Giants remain possible landing spots for free agent IF/OF Ben Zobrist >> Read more

The Mets still have interest in free agent OF Dexter Fowler >> Read more

The Mets have tendered contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players, the team announced on Wednesday.

That list consists of Matt Harvey, Ruben Tejada, Jenrry Mejia, Lucas Duda, Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed, Carlos Torres and Josh Edgin.

The Mets had until midnight tonight to decide whether to tender contracts to their players under team control.

The Mets will have 11 players eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, including Ruben Tejada.

MLB Trade Rumors projects Tejada, who earned $1.8 million this past season, will earn $2.3 million through arbitration next year, after which he can become a free agent for the first time in his career (Oct. 6, 2015).

Similarly, the award-winning team at Pace Law School determined that Tejada can expect to earn slightly less, $2.5 million, would most likely exceed his value on the open market (Nov. 21, 2015).

Ruben Tejada, who suffered a broken leg in Game 2 of the NLDS from Chase Utley's hard slide into second base, said he thought the slide was dirty.

"Really late," Tejada said of the slide, which ended his postseason (Oct. 31).

Tejada was carted off the field after Utley slid hard and late into second base trying to break up a potential double play. He suffered a fractured right fibula, which does not require surgery, but ended his season.