NEW YORK --
FIRST PITCH: In one of the more bizarre nights in New York Mets history, Wilmer Flores was crying at shortstop, thinking he was getting traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Meanwhile, on the Brewers team plane, Carlos Gomez was posing for photos with teammates, believing he had been traded to the Mets.
In the end, though, a deal that would have sent Zack Wheeler and Flores to Milwaukee for Gomez died during the medical-review phase, Brewers GM Doug Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Multiple reports say the Mets nixed the trade over concerns about Gomez's hip, although agent Scott Boras vehemently denied any medical issue exists with his client.
So Wheeler and Flores remain Mets. And Gomez remains in Milwaukee. And the deal is dead, said Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, who has until 4 p.m. ET Friday to find another bat.
On the field, the Mets dropped two games behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East on Wednesday. And the Mets again dropped four games behind the San Francisco Giants for the second wild-card slot (although San Francisco is nearly ready to unseat the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West lead).
In Thursday's 12:10 p.m. ET series finale between the Mets and San Diego Padres, Jonathon Niese (5-9, 3.75 ERA) returns after the birth of his son in Ohio to oppose right-hander Andrew Cashner (4-10, 3.93).
Read recaps of the trade debacle in the Post, Daily News, Times, Newsday and at MLB.com.
THURSDAY'S NEWS REPORTS:
Bartolo Colon allowed six runs in 2 1/3 innings and the Mets lost to the Padres, 7-3, on Wednesday. Colon had the shortest outing by a Mets starter this season. Lucas Duda had three homers, giving him six long balls in the last four games. Duda became the second Met in franchise history with three homers in a home game. Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the first on July 12. The last time a player hit three solo homers to account for his team's only runs in a loss, it also was a Met involved. Ike Davis went deep three times in a Mets loss to Arizona on July 28, 2012. Read game recaps in the Post, Newsday, Record and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
Travis d'Arnaud is due to rejoin the Mets on Thursday after completing a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton. D'Arnaud caught nine innings on consecutive days with the B-Mets and got 20 at-bats total while with the club.
The positive PED test that triggered Jenrry Mejia's 162-game suspension was conducted while he still was serving his original 80-game suspension, a source told ESPN.com.
Columnist David Lennon in Newsday and Bob Klapisch in the Record recap the whacky night at Citi Field.
Brock Peterson homered twice and Binghamton beat New Britain, 11-4. Dash Winningham homered twice and Kingsport beat Pulaski, 10-4. Read the full minor league recap here.
From the bloggers … Mets Report worries about Colon.
BIRTHDAYS: Clint Hurdle turns 58.
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Everything happens for a reason
— Danny Muno (@Munz16) July 30, 2015YOU'RE UP: Would you have approved of Wheeler and Flores for Gomez?
