Morning Briefing: Mets Only Barely in Third Wild Card Spot

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets hoped to build momentum in Washington, but instead dropped two of three, capped by a 9-3 loss in Thursday’s finale. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind homers from Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte, but Sean Manaea faltered and the bullpen collapsed, with Ryne Stanek surrendering a three-run shot to James Wood. Full recap here.

New York has now lost 16 of its last 21, slipping further back in both the division and Wild Card races. They’re seven games behind the Phillies for the division lead, and just 0.5 games ahead of the Reds for the third Wild Card spot.

The Mets open a series against the Braves tonight at 7:15 p.m. ET.

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Latest Mets News

Brandon Nimmo’s neck issue has not improved, and he continued receiving treatment, while Luis Torrens remained banged up but otherwise fine, according to Newsday’s Laura Albanese. Meanwhile, Jeff McNeil was sidelined with right shoulder soreness, which bothered him primarily when throwing, reported MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.

The next step in the future of Metropolitan Park was set with a public hearing scheduled for September 9 at 4 p.m., noted Mike Mayer.

Latest MLB News

Right-hander Blade Tidwell felt shoulder discomfort during a recent bullpen session and was scheduled for an MRI, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic. Tidwell had been in the mix for a potential call-up after pitching well in Triple-A since being acquired at the deadline.

The Athletic reported that MLB and ESPN reached an agreement, making the network the exclusive home of out-of-market games for all teams and the in-market broadcaster for five clubs.

The Tampa Bay Rays called up shortstop Carson Williams, the No. 24 prospect in baseball, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Williams, 22, brings an elite glove and power bat, projecting as a long-term starter on Tampa Bay’s promising infield.

Jhostynxon Garcia, nicknamed “The Password,” was called up to the Boston Red Sox, as reported by Tommy Cassell.

The New York Yankees signed right-hander and former Met Paul Blackburn to a major league deal and optioned Allan Winans to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Atlanta Braves announced that Austin Riley underwent core injury surgery in Philadelphia and would miss the rest of the regular season. However, he is expected to return for spring training in 2026. In a separate move, the Braves claimed right-hander Cal Quantrill off waivers from the Miami Marlins, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman added that the Braves altered their rotation for the upcoming Mets series, going with Joey Wentz on Friday, Quantrill on Saturday and Bryce Elder on Sunday.

Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel signed with the Houston Astros, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.