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          New York Mets

          Morning Briefing: Double dip

          • Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff WriterSep 25, 2014, 07:33 AM ET
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              Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.
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          WASHINGTON

          FIRST PITCH: Let’s play two!

          After a rainout Wednesday at Nationals Park, the Mets complete the road portion of their 2014 schedule with a split doubleheader.

          Dillon Gee (7-8, 3.88 ERA) opposes right-hander Blake Treinen (2-3, 1.94) at 1:05 p.m.

          Zack Wheeler (11-10, 3.49) opposes left-hander Gio Gonzalez (9-10, 3.74) at 7:05 p.m.

          The Mets are 38-41 on the road this season.

          Overall, the Amazin’s are 76-81. That means they need to run the table in their final five games in order to avoid their sixth straight losing season.

          The Mets also slipped back into third place, a half-game behind Atlanta, with the Braves’ win on Wednesday.

          If Washington swept Thursday’s doubleheader, the Nats would match the most wins ever by a team against the Mets in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1962 and the Dodgers again in ’63 went 16-2 against the Mets. The Nats are 14-3 against the Mets this season.

          Thursday also will mark Kevin Burkhardt’s final day as SNY’s Mets field reporter before moving on to Fox full time.

          Thursday’s news reports:

          • David Wright first told ESPNNewYork.com on Wednesday that his left shoulder issue is more involved than just persistent rotator cuff tendinitis. Wright said ligaments holding the shoulder in place are “weak” and “stretched out.” He hopes a six-week program stabilizes the shoulder. Otherwise, surgery may be needed. That would require a three to 3½-month rehab process.

          • Travis d'Arnaud may be out for a few days, although neither he nor Terry Collins would disclose the precise issue. D’Arnaud was due to be examined by a team doctor.

          • Tim Dierkes at MLBTradeRumors.com reviews the pros and cons of slugging Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas and predicts he will receive a seven-year, $105 million contract. Tomas turns 24 in November. Writes Dierkes:

          Tomas’ best attribute is his power, a trait that is in short supply in today’s game. Only 14 players hit 30 or more home runs in 2013, and fewer might reach that threshold this year. Tomas has 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale, wrote Baseball America’s Ben Badler in June, so he profiles as one of those rare 30+ home run bats. “He’s got a ton of power,” countryman Rusney Castillo told WEEI’s Rob Bradford through a translator this month. Tomas has produced a .290/.345/.504 throughout his career in Cuba, although those numbers include a pair of seasons in which he slugged just .385 (2009-10) when he was still a teenager.

          Though Tomas checks in at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he’s “agile for his size,” according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Sanchez also says Tomas has a strong arm, so he fits the typical right-field profile. (Some teams may prefer him in left, of course.)

          • Mike Puma in the Post writes that despite a quiet September, Lucas Duda is the first baseman in 2015.

          • Columnist Denis Hamill in the Daily News writes that even Mets fans admire Derek Jeter.

          BIRTHDAYS: David Weathers turns 45. ... Argenis Reyes is 32. ... Minor-league catcher Colton Plaia is 24.

          TWEET OF THE DAY:

          YOU’RE UP: Do you have any confidence the Mets will sign Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas?