Mets overhaul the coaching staff, moving on from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner while keeping manager Carlos Mendoza amid a contentious season. Hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez and third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh won’t return; bench coach John Gibbons resigns and catching coach Glenn Sherlock retires. Desi Druschel and Jose Rosado can explore other opportunities; Antoan Richardson, Danny Barnes and Rafael Fernandez are invited back. Peterson and Manaea showed promise, but pitching and defense hurt the club, with Soto’s megadeal towering over payroll.

Mets bullpen turmoil forces a day-by-day approach as they piece together a pitching plan for a series in Miami. Sproat faces Alcantara in the opener; Holmes starts Saturday with a short leash after a relief stint, while Manaea and Peterson are being used from the bullpen. Sunday's starter hinges on bullpen health. Senga may return only if needed; Reed Garrett is out for the season after Tommy John. Chicago Cubs games earlier in the week loomed large in decision-making.

Alvarez homered twice, including a go-ahead shot, but the Mets couldn’t sustain the rally as Cubs surged late in a 10-3 defeat. Tong failed to settle in his fifth big-league start, and New York’s bullpen was pressed into extensive work, flipping to tandem starts with Holmes and Manaea. Defensive miscues and a wild-pitch onslaught widened Chicago’s lead. Cincinnati’s loss in extras kept the Mets in the wild-card mix, though depth and weekend stress loom.

New York cleared a big hurdle at Wrigley with a 9-7 rally that underscored a playoff-ready mindset. Francisco Alvarez’s eighth-inning two-run homer sparked the comeback, followed by Edwin Diaz’s two-inning save as the Mets erased a 6-1 deficit. Manager Carlos Mendoza stressed the urgency of winning now, while the bullpen shut the Cubs down late. With five games left, New York nudged into the NL wild-card conversation as other rivals faltered, keeping October within reach.