NEW YORK -- The New York Mets' lineup posted by Terry Collins on Tuesday afternoon had Yoenis Cespedes penciled in as the left fielder and third-place hitter. But what were the actual odds Cespedes, who missed the weekend series against the Washington Nationals due to a sore left hamstring, was going to play on a cold and rainy night at Citi Field?
"If we play in this condition," Collins said during his pregame press conference, "you'll be in left field before Cespedes."
Fortunately for the Mets, it didn't come to that.
With daylong rains drenching the area, the series opener between the Mets and Atlanta Braves was postponed. It will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Sept 25, when the Braves make their final visit of the season to New York.
The Mets will skip Tuesday's scheduled starter, right-hander Robert Gsellman, in order to keep pitch right-hander Noah Syndergaard (1-1, 1.73 ERA) on five days' rest. New York announced that right-hander Matt Harvey would pitch on Thursday, as previously scheduled, which means Gsellman will be available out of the bullpen the next few days until his turn in the rotation comes up again on Sunday.
The Braves pushed back Tuesday's starter, right-hander Julio Teheran (1-1, 3.52 ERA), to Wednesday. Right-hander R.A. Dickey, who was scheduled to start Wednesday, will start Thursday, and Thursday's scheduled starter, right-hander Bartolo Colon, will pitch the series opener against the Brewers at Milwaukee on Friday.
With better weather expected for Wednesday, Cespedes and catcher Travis d'Arnaud should both return to the lineup. D'Arnaud, who was scheduled to play Tuesday, missed four consecutive starts due to a right wrist contusion, though he was able to pinch-hit in all three games against the Nationals.
Getting Cespedes and d'Arnaud back will provide a boost to the undermanned Mets (8-11), who have scored just 26 runs in losing eight of their past nine games. First baseman Lucas Duda (left elbow) and backup infielder Wilmer Flores (knee infection) are both on the 10-day disabled list, while shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (left hamstring) didn't start Friday and has been limited the past several days.
"To get both those guys back is going to be big," Collins said of Cespedes and d'Arnaud. "All of a sudden, you're looking at another one or two guys closer to having your regular lineup out there."
The rainout delayed by at least one day the Braves debut of infielder Lane Adams, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday afternoon. Adams is expected to serve as a bench bat for Atlanta, whose pinch-hitters are just 2-for-29 this season. To make room for Adams on the 25- and 40-man rosters, infielder Chase d'Arnaud -- the older brother of Travis -- was designated for assignment.
The Syndergaard-Teheran matchup will be the second of the season. The two opposed each other on Opening Day at Citi Field on April 3, when neither pitcher factored into the decision in the Mets' 6-0 win.
Syndergaard took the loss in his most recent start last Thursday, when he gave up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks while striking out 10 over seven innings as the Mets fell 6-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies. He is 0-1 with a 3.92 ERA in four career starts against the Braves.
Teheran took the loss in his most recent start on April 19, when he gave up seven runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over four innings as the Braves lost 14-4 to the Nationals. He is 7-3 with a 2.21 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) against the Mets.