Entering his start on July 16, Mets LHP Steven Matz had a 4.87 ERA and was coming off a brief demotion to the bullpen. 

And while Matz was in the bullpen, Mickey Callaway wouldn't even commit to his eventual return to the rotation. 

Since then, Matz has a 2.81 ERA (his overall ERA has dipped to 4.18) and has struck out 38 batters in 41.2 innings (seven starts) while walking eight and allowing just three home runs. So, what triggered the turnaround?

The Mets (65-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB of second Wild Card) continue their three-game series against the Indians at Citi Field on Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m.

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

Behind a strong start from Steven Matz and a late offensive eruption, the Mets took down the Indians, 9-2, on Tuesday night >> Read more

The Mets have come back from the brink to put themselves firmly in Wild Card contention. Here's everything you need to know about the state of the race...

Nationals (68-57, 1.0 game up for first Wild Card)

Next up: @ Pirates, Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. (Patrick Corbin vs. Joe Musgrove)
Latest result: 4-1 loss to Pirates on Tuesday
Current odds to make playoffs: 89.1 percent
Latest news: The Nats suffered another bullpen meltdown on Tuesday

Cubs (67-58, 2.0 games up for second Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Giants, Wednesday at 8:05 p.m. (Yu Darvish vs. Dereck Rodriguez)
Latest result: 5-3 win over Giants on Tuesday 
Current odds to make playoffs: 78.5 percent
Latest news: Ben Zobrist could be getting closer to a return

Mets manager Mickey Callaway was very pleased with his team's performance Tuesday night, as they beat the AL Wild Card-leading Indians 9-2. 

"They're relentless in their approach, no matter who comes in, they're up there grinding it out," Callaway said. "And that's what good teams do, they add on. Tonight, we added on enough to where we could stay away from Lugo and Diaz. Now we're set up in a better situation tomorrow because our hitters are relentless."

The Mets kicked off their nine-game homestand with a big 9-2 win over the Indians at Citi Field on Tuesday night. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Tuesday's game...

1) Steven Matz was allowed to go deep into the game this time around, as he continues to show success on the bump. He did allow a solo homer to 2B Jason Kipnis in the top of the second, but the run that came across in the fourth was unearned. Overall, the lefty went 6.1 innings, allowing that one earned run on five hits while striking out seven and walking two...

Mets manager Mickey Callaway dropped some big news that Jed Lowrie, who hasn't played with the Mets at all this season due to various injuries, was starting a rehab assignment with High-A St. Lucie on Tuesday night. 

And it looks like he's moving around pretty well, finishing the night 1-for-4 with an RBI.

This is some of the first footage we've seen of Lowrie in action this season, as he's seen running out a ground ball to first base...

LF J.D. Davis returned to the Mets' lineup on Tuesday night. And he let everyone know it in his first at-bat. 

Davis parked a fastball from RHP Shane Bieber over the center-field fence, dropping right next to the home-run apple to put the Mets up 2-1...

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH

After an off day, the Mets (64-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB in Wild Card) are back in action as they start their nine-game homestand at Citi Field on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. against the Cleveland Indians.

Mets Notes

The Mets have won 10 of their last 12 series since the All-Star break, most recently taking two out of three games over the weekend at the Kansas City Royals. During that span, they boast a .706 win percentage while going 24-10, topping the Yankees (.684, 26-12) for the best in the MLB. LF J.D. Davis, who had tightness in his right calf, returns to the lineup after Sunday's 11-5 win over the Royals, when he subbed in the top of the seventh inning with his pinch-hit RBI single. On the season, Davis is slashing .312/.375/.513 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs.

Mets INF/OF Jeff McNeil injured his hamstring on Aug. 13 against the Braves. Here are the latest updates...

Aug. 20, 4:46 PM:

McNeil had a "good day" on Tuesday, when he ran the bases and took batting practice, Mickey Callaway said.

Asked whether McNeil will be ready to return on Saturday, Callaway said the team didn't have a definitive timeline, adding "we'll see how he comes out of the day."

Mets infielder Jed Lowrie, who has not played yet this season due to a variety of injuries, is starting a rehab assignment on Tuesday night with High-A St. Lucie, where he will serve as the DH.

"It's still a situation where it's gonna be day-to-day, obviously, but for him to get on the field and get his blood flowing in a big situation for him to this point is exciting," manager Mickey Callaway said. "I think we'll just see how he comes out of it and then make the schedule out the next day."

The 35-year-old Lowrie, who suffered a "low grade" right calf strain in July while rehabbing, has also dealt with knee and hamstring injuries to his left side this season.

Mets OF Brandon Nimmo is taking the final step in his road back from injury, joining Triple-A Syracuse as he continues his rehab assignment, SNY's Andy Martino reports.

The 26-year-old Nimmo has been out since May 21.

Nimmo (back) began his rehab assignment with High-A St. Lucie last week and played two games there -- serving as the DH on Aug. 16 and playing the outfield on Aug. 18. St. Lucie was off on Monday.

As the Mets head toward the homestretch in the regular season, it looks like they'll be losing a bullpen piece.

According to SNY's Andy Martino, Robert Gsellman has suffered a partial lat tear. And though his timetable hasn't been determined yet, it would need to be a speedy recovery to see Gsellman back on the mound at full health this year. 

Gsellman hit the IL on Aug. 17 with right triceps tightness, but there was clearly more to his injury after tests were done. 

The Mets made a couple transactions before starting their series with the Indians on Tuesday night. 

Rajai Davis is back with the big club, the team announced, as he was recalled with RHP Walker Lockett being sent back down to Triple-A Syracuse.

Davis played in four games with the Mets before he was sent down to Triple-A. He went 2-for-7 with a homer and three RBI during that span. In Triple-A, he owned a .287/.334/.410 slash line with eight homers and 28 RBIs over 84 games. 

In the span of two years, Mets shortstop Amed Rosario has gone from the top prospect in baseball to a defensive liability who could be moved to center field, to back to being a young star on the rise.

"My confidence has been at an all-time high," Rosario recently told Deesha Thosar of the Daily News. "I didn't start the season this great, but now it's been going well."

Rosario, who is still just 23 years old, had been struggling offensively earlier this season while making errors and mistakes in the field. However, during his most recent 100 or so games, he's batting around .300 and has returned to being the quick and slick fielder he projected to be when he was in the minor leagues...

The Mets have come back from the brink to put themselves firmly in Wild Card contention. Here's everything you need to know about the state of the race...

Nationals (68-56, 2.0 games up for first Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Pirates, Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. (Stephen Strasburg vs. Chris Archer)
Latest result: 13-0 win over Pirates on Monday
Current odds to make playoffs: 92.5 percent
Latest news: The Nats are in the midst of an insane scoring stretch

Cubs (66-58, 2.0 games up for second Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Giants, Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. (Cole Hamels vs. Tyler Beede)
Latest result: 7-1 win over Pirates on Sunday night. 
Current odds to make playoffs: 75.0 percent
Latest news: INF David Bote was optioned to Triple-A

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Mets' system got a boost with their terrific Draft in June but took a serious hit when they traded pitching prospects Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson to the Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman. Here's how the top prospects are performing, with MLB.com system rankings for each player in parentheses...

Ronny Mauricio, SS, Low-A Columbia -- ETA 2022 (No. 1)

Mauricio, who we recently profiled here, is a switch-hitter who the Mets gave $2.1 million in 2017 as an international free agent.

After being on fire for the better part of a month, Mauricio is in the midst of a huge funk, with zero hits in his last 23 at-bats. Overall, he is hitting .273/.311/.366 with four homers, four triples, and 20 doubles in 105 games this season. 

Doug Williams and Andy Martino deliver an all-new Shea Anything podcast, as the Mets remain in the NL Wild Card hunt.

The guys talk about the state of the bullpen after the Mets 6-game road trip, Pete Alonso becoming the new NL rookie home run champion, and Amed Rosario blossoming into a hitting threat.

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN

The Mets family unfortunately lost one of its original members in Al Jackson, who passed away in Port St. Lucie on Monday at 83. 

Jackson pitched for the Mets in their inaugural season in 1962, where he spent four seasons before being traded to the Cardinals in 1966. He would return to the Mets in 1968 and played halfway through the 1969 season before being traded to the Reds where he would finish his career that season. 

Jackson's 43 wins with New York was the team's record until Tom Seaver would break it. But his connection with the Mets didn't stop after his playing days. 

If you've been following the Mets this year, you know that they've become highly reluctant to publicize estimated timetables on when injured players will return.

That said, we hear that Jeff McNeil, eligible to come off the injured list Aug. 24, might need to play in minor league rebab games before he returns. The team has not yet determined a schedule for those games, but it seems they could push back his return just a bit.

Still, the news on McNeil has been positive since an MRI revealed that his hamstring strain was "mild."

The Mets are in the thick of the Wild Card race -- 2.0 games out of the second spot with 38 games to go. And if they make it to the do-or-die play-in game, it seems that Jacob deGrom is already lined up to start it.

The rotation right now in order has deGrom at the top, followed by Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz, Marcus Stroman, and Noah Syndergaard. 

DeGrom started on Saturday night against the Royals in Kansas City, and if the Mets keep him on an every-fifth-day schedule, his final start of the regular season will be on Sept. 25.

The Mets came away with yet another series victory as their hot second half continues. And their World Series odds continue to get better because of it. 

Entering a new week, Bovada updated their World Series odds, and the Mets came in at +2000. They were at +2200 last week, and it was even higher the week of Aug. 6 -- at +2800. 

The Mets, of course, must first make the playoffs and they currently sit 2.0 games back of the second Wild Card slot iwth a little over a month left to play. The Brewers are also there at 64-60, while the Cubs hold that second spot at 66-58. Per FanGraphs, the Mets' Wild Card odds are set at 42.9 percent.

The Mets have come back from the brink to put themselves firmly in Wild Card contention. Here's everything you need to know about the state of the race...

Nationals (67-56, 1.5 games up for first Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Pirates, Monday at 7:05 p.m. (Joe Ross vs. Trevor Williams)
Latest result: 16-8 win over Brewers on Sunday
Current odds to make playoffs: 89.8 percent
Latest news: Struggling reliever Sean Doolittle was placed on the 10-day IL due to a knee injury

Cubs (66-58, 2.0 games up for second Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Giants, Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. (Cole Hamels vs. Tyler Beede)
Latest result: 7-1 win over Pirates on Sunday night. 
Current odds to make playoffs: 75.6 percent
Latest news: Nicholas Castellanos has been on fire since being traded to Chicago

The Mets have reshaped their roster over the last year and change, saying goodbye to some familiar faces (some beloved, some not) in the process. Every week, we'll take a look at how some of those former Mets are performing with their new teams...

Asdrubal Cabrera, Nationals

Cabrera has had a relative resurgence since joining the Nationals, going 9-for-26 with five RBI in eight games. He singled in his only at-bat on Sunday and added two multi-hit games to his ledger in the past week. 

JD Davis pinch-hit for Aaron Altherr in the seventh inning of Sunday's win with a single, but when Mickey Callaway noticed him moving with what he said was not a "smooth gait," the manager's decision on who would take over in left field came down to one person, Amed Rosario. 

"Sometimes you have to do whatever you have to do to win a game and that's what we did tonight," Callaway said. "We knew that this could be a possibility. We were ready to go that route a few days ago. [Rosario's] ability to go out there, and his willingness more than anything, allows you to win games." 

"He's an unselfish player, and we have a bunch of them out there."

The Mets handed it to the Royals in a 11-5 win to take the series in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Sunday's game...

1) Zack Wheeler looked to be cruising in his start today, but he hit a wall in the fifth inning when he allowed three runs to reliniquish the Mets' lead. His day would be done after that frame, with his final line being four runs, three earned on four hits while walking one and striking out two. He would get a no-decision thanks to the Mets' offense.

Pete Alonso was having himself a fine day at the plate in Kansas City on Sunday, and his final at-bat put his name next to some more league history. 

Alonso mashed his 40th homer of the season in the top of the ninth inning, and with that he is now the owner of the most homers ever by a rookie in the National League. He broke Cody Bellinger's 2017 record when he hit 39 homers. 

Michael Conforto has been swinging a hot bat lately, and he didn't waste any time showing the Royals exactly how hot it is. 

On the first pitch from Glenn Sparkman, Conforto lifted a three-run homer for the right field fence to put the Mets up early in the first...

The Mets (63-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB in Wild Card) will finish their series with the Kansas City Royals on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium. 

Mets Notes

The Mets have won eight of their last 10 series since the All-Star break. They also have a .697 win percentage since that span, which is good for second in the MLB. ...J.D. Davis snapped his 10-game hit streak yesterday during a pinch hit appearance. ...Wilson Ramos is on a 12-game hit streak at the moment. He's hitting .447 during that span.

The Mets (63-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB of second Wild Card) are looking for the series win today against the Royals with Zack Wheeler on the mound. 

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

The Mets evened up the series with the Royals, winning 4-1 thanks to a brilliant performance from Jacob deGrom. >> Read more

Jacob deGrom had another Cy Young caliber start on Saturday in a 4-1 win against the Kansas City Royals, but that's not the hardware he's thinking about. 

Following the game, deGrom said despite his continuing run of excellent play, he's not worried much about winning his second-straight individual award. But the World Series? That's certainly on his mind. 

"Honestly I haven't thought about [the Cy Young] too much," deGrom said. "I'd like to be in the talks for it, but the main goal is to put this team in a position to win. We've been playing good baseball since the All-Star break. Individual things are great, but goal is for the team to make it to the World Series and win that." 

Jacob deGrom shuts Royals down on the hill and Pete Alonso knocks in the winner as the Mets top the Royals, 4-1. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Saturday's game

1) Jacob deGrom had another strong outing for the Mets, allowing only three hits in seven innings of work. At times, deGrom didn't appear to favor the strike zone, but he worked through the Royals lineup and finished his night with his fifth strikeout against Ryan O'Hearn with runners on to protect the lead. His final throw was his 107th pitch of the night. With the win, deGrom is now 8-7 on the year, the first time his record went above .500 since April 9 when he was 2-1 following his third start of the season. 

The Mets (62-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.5 GB in Wild Card) will face the Kansas City Royals (44-78, 30 GB in AL Central, 26.5 GB in Wild Card) on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium. 

Mets Notes

J.D. Davis is second in the National League with a .379 batting average and.440 on-base percentage since the All-Star break. Davis is not in the lineup after suffering a calf injury on Friday, however, Mickey Callaway said the issue is only minor and he could pinch hit. ... The Mets placed RHP Robert Gsellman on the 10-day IL with triceps tightness and recalled RHP Walker Lockett from Triple-A Syracuse. ... Wilson Ramos is currently on an 11-game hitting streak, tied for the longest active in the majors. ... Amed Rosario had nine hits between Wednesday and Thursday, which tied a Mets two-day record.

The Mets are down an arm in the bullpen.

Manager Mickey Callaway announced before Saturday's game against the Royals that Robert Gsellman is headed to the IL with triceps tightness.

Callaway had said after Friday's game that Gsellman had not been available to pitch, and now the team will be without him for the immediate future.

The Mets (62-60, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB of second Wild Card) fell to the Royals 4-1, they continue their three-game series in Kansas City on Saturday night at 7:15 PM. 

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

Humid weather conditions in Kansas City frustrated Noah Syndergaard, who failed to reach seven innings for the first time in seven starts. "I felt like i had to battle the elements out there. I don't know what it is about humidity, but we do not get along," Syndergaard said. >> Read more

Noah Syndergaard wasn't just battling the nine hitters in the Royals' lineup on Friday.

He was also battling the conditions.

It was a hot, humid evening in Kansas City, and though Syndergaard did his best to battle through six innings, the conditions ultimately got to him. 

The Mets fell to the Royals 4-1 on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium. >> Box score

Four takeaways from Friday's game

1) Noah Syndergaard was magnificent through the first four innings. He ran into trouble quickly in the fifth, allowing a single and then back-to-back double by Meibrys Viloria and Nicky Lopez. Two runs scored in the fifth, giving the Royals a 2-1 lead. Syndergaard got into another jam in the sixth, but with tow runners on, he struck out Bubba Starling and Ryan O'Hearn to end the threat. Syndergaard went six innings, allowing just two earned on five hits. He had gone at least seven innings in each of his prior six starts.

Michael Conforto gave the Mets an early lead on Friday night. 

In a scoreless top of the third inning, JD Davis singled to reach base, and then made his way to second on a fielder's choice that turned into an error by Whit Merrifield. With Davis on second, Conforto lined a single the other way to put the Mets on the board first.

Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo began his rehab assignment Friday night for the Class A-Advanced St. Lucie Mets.

Serving as the DH and batting second, Nimmo went 1-3 with a walk. His one hit was a line-drive single up the middle.

The outfielder last played for the Mets on May 20, but has since been sidelined with a neck injury.

In recent weeks, the NL Rookie of the Year race has boiled down to a two-man race between Pete Alonso and Padres' shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.

Now, the field may be narrowed down to one. 

Padres manager Andy Green told reporters on Friday that 20-year-old star is likely done for season, due to a back issue that has landed him on the IL. Green said that an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his back, causing the Padres to sit their young star.

The Mets (62-59, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB in Wild Card) begin a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals (43-78, 30 GB in AL Central) on Friday night at 8:15 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium.

Mets Notes

In Thursday's win over Atlanta, Amed Rosario and Pete Alonso became the first Mets ever to both record five hits in the same game. ... The Mets's 23 hits on Thursday were tied for the second most in team history for a nine-inning game. ... The Mets are 10-4 against the AL this season, the highest interleague win percentage for any NL team.

Where it matters most, the Mets' trade for Marcus Stroman has worked out. 

In Stroman's first three starts with the Mets, the team is 3-0. 

But Stroman hasn't exactly excelled. His three stats include 15.2 innings of work, a 1-0 record, nine earned runs surrendered with an ERA of 5.17. 

The Mets had 23 hits in their Thursday win over the Atlanta Braves. It wasn't a must win, but after dropping the first two games of the three-game set, it was a big one.

With a sentence like that, most could assume the score wasn't close, however, it was a 10-8 game mostly due to do the performance of reliever Drew Gagnon. 

Marcus Stroman recovered from 33 first-inning pitches to 5.1 frames of work for the win. Luis Avilan and Brad Brach then held the Braves at bay... then Gagnon. Not his best outing, as he allowed four home runs, including a two-run shot to make the game way-too-close for comfort late. Three of those game in the ninth inning. 

The Mets (62-59, 9.0 GB in NL East, 2.0 GB of second Wild Card) begin a three-game set against the Royals in Kansas City at 8:15 PM on SNY. 

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

The Mets had 23 hits to salvage a win in their three-game series against the Braves, but somehow things got tight at the end thanks to Drew Gagnon. >> Read more

The Mets have come back from the brink to put themselves firmly in Wild Card contention. Here's everything you need to know about the state of the race...

Nationals (65-55, 1.5 games up for first Wild Card)

Next up: vs. Brewers, Friday at 7:05 p.m. (Patrick Corbin vs. Adrian Houser)
Latest result: 17-7 win over Reds on Wednesday
Current odds to make playoffs: 86.5 percent
Latest news: Max Scherzer is 'itching' to return from his injury

Cubs (64-57, 1.0 game up for second Wild Card)

Next up: @ Pirates, Friday at 7:05 p.m. (Kyle Hendricks vs. Joe Musgrove)
Latest result: 7-5 loss to Phillies on Thursday, swept in three-game set. 
Current odds to make playoffs: 72.1 percent
Latest news: Bryce Harper hit a walk-off grand slam to cap a six-run ninth inning by the Phillies, stunning the Cubs on Thursday. 

Amed Rosario and Pete Alonso made Mets history on Thursday night.

During Thursday's 10-8 win over the Braves, Rosario and Alonso each recorded five hits, the first time two Mets have ever done that in the same game. 

Rosario went 5-6 on the night with four runs scored, providing a spark at the top of the lineup and upping his season average to .289.

"He has really upped his game on top of what he did last season," Mickey Callaway said after the game. "He is continuing to develop, like we talked about the last couple years, right in front of our eyes, and he's becoming a great hitter. What he's done the last few months is spectacular."

The Mets escaped Atlanta with a 10-8 series finale over the win thanks to an early offensive outburst. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Thursday's game

1) Pete Alonso and Amed Rosario led an early offensive outburst for the Mets, as New York scored three runs in the first two innings. In the first, Rosario doubled and Joe Panik singled, which helped the Mets cash in three runs on Alonso's 39th home run. In the next inning, Rosario tripled after Ronald Acuna missed a liner with a dive. That scored Marcus Stroman and then Wilson Ramos plated two more runs with a single to right field later in the second. 

In total, both Alonso and Rosario had five hits and Alonso tallied six RBI. 

The Mets are hoping to leave their three-game set against the Atlanta Braves with at least one win.

Wrapping up the series on Thursday, Pete Alonso put the Mets in a great position to do so before the Braves even recorded an out. 

In the top of the first at SunTrust Park, Alonso sent a pitch from Julio Teheran over the outfield wall in dead center field, 451 feet away from home plate. 

Another night, another milestone for Pete Alonso.

In the top of the first inning, Amed Rosario and Joe Panik both recorded hits to get things started, setting the stage for Alonso, who slammed a three-run home run to dead center, splashing down well beyond the fence to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.

The blast was Alonso's 39th home run of the season, tying Cody Bellinger's 2017 mark for the most home runs by a rookie in National League history. 

The Mets (61-59, 10.0 GB in NL East, 3.0 GB in Wild Card) wrap up a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves (72-50, 6.0 GA in NL East) on Thursday night at 7:20 p.m. at SunTrust Park.

Mets Notes

The Mets have lost three straight games, but have still won 15 of their last 19. ... The Braves have taken eight of their last 10 matchups with the Mets. ... The Mets have not been swept in a three-game series by the Braves since May 1-3, 2018. ... Wilson Ramos is on a nine-game hitting streak, batting .400 with 10 RBI during the stretch.