Meet the Mets
Noah Syndergaard was brilliant through seven shutout innings, striking out ten Nationals and walking none en route to his fourth win of the season. Daniel Murphy made his return to Citi Field to considerable fanfare, but he ultimately settled for a 1-for-3 performance at the plate. Solo home runs from Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto helped set up Jeurys Familia for his 13th save, positioning the Mets just a half-game behind Washington in the NL East.
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Sandy Alderson relayed positive medical news; the Mets' GM underwent a "fantastically successful" procedure to treat his cancer.
The Mets called up infielder Matt Reynolds prior to Tuesday's game, optioning Sean Gilmartin to Triple-A to free up a roster spot. Reynolds, who occupied a roster spot during the 2015 postseason, started at third base and went hitless in his MLB debut.
Reynolds and Eric Campbell served as the Mets' corner infielders on Tuesday, as injuries kept David Wright and Lucas Duda sidelined. According to manager Terry Collins, "damp and cool" weather conditions spurred the decision to rest Wright and Duda.
For his feat of becoming the oldest player to hit his first-ever major league home run, Bartolo Colon was honored with a plaque from the Guinness World Records.
Dan Martin of the New York Post is optimistic in Rafael Montero's future as a major league starter.
Teammates warned Max Scherzer of the Mets' "ultra-aggressive" approach at the plate. Sure enough, leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson jumped on the first pitch he saw for a home run.
Right-hander Zack Wheeler is on pace for a July 1 return, following a procedure in April related to his Tommy John surgery.
Sandy Alderson downplayed concerns of Jacob deGrom's diminished velocity, remarking "we're only eight weeks into the season."
Kevin Plawecki is an easy player to cheer for, Erik Malinowski of BP Mets writes.
Around the NL East
The Braves fired manager Fredi Gonzalez under questionable circumstances. Prior to suffering a 12-9 defeat to the Pirates, members of the Braves expressed sympathy regarding the dismissal of their manager.
The Phillies defeated the Marlins behind Tommy Joseph's first major league home run. Jeanmar Gomez, who entered the season with just one career save over six seasons, has now closed out 15 games for the Phillies.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker shared his thoughts on the state of the NL East.
Before receiving a standing ovation from Mets fans, Daniel Murphy spoke warmly about his time spent in New York.
Around the Majors
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred dropped the hammer on Rougned Odor, suspending the Rangers' infielder for eight games after Sunday's brawl against the Blue Jays. Odor was dismayed by the penalty, asking "what am I going to learn?" For what it's worth, Odor has distributed his share of dirty slides.
Meanwhile, Jose Bautista homered and received a standing ovation in his return to the Rogers Centre. The Rays otherwise dominated Tuesday's road match-up, tallying 17 hits in a 12-2 rout of Toronto.
The A's lost Mark Canha for the season. A former Rule 5 draft pick, Canha hit 16 home runs in his rookie campaign last season.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus was suspended and fined after going on a memorable tirade during Tuesday's game against the Twins.
August Fagerstrom of FanGraphs sought out redeeming qualities in a woeful Cincinnati bullpen.
Yesterday at AA
Daniel Convery provided Tuesday's Daily Prospect Report.
Aaron Yorke previewed this week's three-game home series against the Nationals.
This Date in Mets History
Happy 42nd birthday to Nelson Figueroa! A right-handed pitcher, Figueroa was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY; graduating from Lincoln High School before pitching at Brandeis University. After being traded to Arizona while in the minor leagues, Figueroa spent parts of five major league seasons with the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Brewers, and Pirates before reuniting with the Mets in 2008. Figueroa closed out the Mets' 2009 season with a shutout of the Astros at Citi Field.