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LAS VEGAS 8, TUCSON 4: Eric Campbell drove in four runs while Ike Davis went 2-for-2 with three walks, an RBI and two runs scored. Gonzalez Germen and Sean Henn combined for three scoreless relief innings after starter Matt Fox allowed four runs in six innings. Box

RICHMOND 3, BINGHAMTON 2 (8 innings)
BINGHAMTON 8, RICHMOND 1: The B-Mets suffered a walk-off loss in the opener as Chase Huchingson walked the leadoff batter and ultimately surrendered a two-out RBI single to Andrew Susac in the bottom of the eighth. Binghamton won the nightcap as Cesar Puello returned from a one-week absence and Allan Dykstra went 3-for-7 with a double, two homers and five RBIs in the twinbill. In Game 1, Richmond starter Carlos Torres walked five batters in his lone two innings, but the B-Mets could not capitalize. Binghamton starter Erik Goeddel hit Mark Minicozzi to start the second inning and surrendered an RBI single later in the frame to Jarrett Parker. Omar Javier took over for Torres in the third and Puello stroked a leadoff double. Dykstra followed with a go-ahead two-run homer. Goeddel preserved that 2-1 lead, but Richmond busted through in the sixth against reliever John Church. Adam Duvall and Minicozzi singled. Duvall eventually scored on Susac's sac fly. The B-Mets loaded the bases in the top of the eighth against Tom Vessella, but Danny Muno struck out looking to end the frame. None of the 10 B-Mets batters who walked scored.

After mustering four hits in the opener, the B-Mets opened the nightcap with the first five batters to face Richmond starter Taylor Rogers reaching safely. Puello delivered an RBI single. Richard Lucas added a two-run single. Xorge Carrillo wrapped up the four-run first with his first RBI as a B-Met. B-Mets starter Darin Gorski allowed a runner to reach in each of his five innings, but surrendered just one run. Puello added an RBI single in the second and Dykstra hammered an RBI double in the fourth. Dykstra also had a two-run homer against reliever Ryan Bradley. Ryan Fraser contributed a scoreless sixth. Adam Kolarek struck out two in the seventh. Lefty reliever Jim Fuller was promoted from St. Lucie. Box 1, Box 2

ST. LUCIE 5, CHARLOTTE 4: St. Lucie (37-30) won seven of its last eight games to close the first half. Robbie Shields had two hits, including a leadoff homer in a five-run fourth. Gilbert Gomez followed with an RBI single to tie the score at 2. Matt den Dekker, who finished 0-for-3 in his third game since returning from a broken right wrist, had a sacrifice fly to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. T.J. Rivera and Dustin Lawley each had RBI singles in the frame. St. Lucie starter Rainy Lara struck out back-to-back hitters with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth to close his outing. Lara earned his first Florida State League win. He allowed three runs and seven hits over five innings while walking two and striking out seven. Carlos Vazquez allowed one run and one hit with no walks and two strikeouts in two innings. Chasen Bradford pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. T.J. Chism struck out Richie Shaffer looking with runners at first and third to earn his eighth save. Box

STATEN ISLAND 5, BROOKLYN 2: Miller Diaz allowed five runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and one walk while striking out four. The damage began in a two-run second. With two outs, Kale Sumner and Bubba Jones consecutively singled. Francisco Rosario then produced a two-run double. An inning later, Derek Toadvine and Michael O’Neill singled to start the inning. With both in scoring position and two outs later in the frame, Isaias Tejeda lofted a fly ball that was botched by left fielder Eris Peguero, allowing two unearned runs to score. Sumner followed with an RBI single for a 5-0 Baby Bombers lead. The Cyclones (0-2) finally broke through in the sixth. LJ Mazzilli doubled with one out and advanced to third on a passed ball. Matt Oberste (3-for-4) eventually singled with two outs to plate him. Oberste, a seventh-round pick from the University of Oklahoma, produced his first professional homer in the ninth. Box

Compiled from team reports

ATLANTA -- Shaun Marcum professed no concern about whether he is vulnerable with the Mets eventually needing to shed a starting pitcher from their current six-man rotation.

"Not at all," Marcum said after surrendering five runs in 4 2/3 innings as his ERA swelled to 5.76 in the Mets' 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night. "That's up to them. I can't really do anything about that. That's their call."

Marcum (0-9) surrendered a three-run homer to Chris Johnson in the fourth, then a pair of runs an inning later before departing.

"It seems like every mistake is getting hit -- if not in the gap over the fence," Marcum said. "I guess it's part of the game. I've just got to live with it. You go through stretches where that happens. Unfortunately, it's been a two-and-a-half-month ordeal for me so far."

The big issue? Location.

"Not consistent at all. Today I didn't feel like I located anything," he said. "Changeup was up in the zone. Cutter was more flat today. Even some of them backed up a little bit. My fastball, I haven't located that probably from Day 1. I feel like I haven't been able to throw that anywhere I've wanted to. If you can't locate your fastball, it makes it difficult to pitch."

Said John Buck: "It's not going real well for him, but when I'm back there I feel like we're in control of everything. It's always just one mistake or that one inning that seems to bite him."

ATLANTA -- Shaun Marcum may make the decision regarding which pitcher to drop from the six-man rotation easy.

Marcum was knocked out in the fifth inning and remained winless this season as the Atlanta Braves beat the Mets, 5-3, Wednesday night at Turner Field.

A day after the intoxicating Matt Harvey-Zack Wheeler double-feature, Marcum fell to 0-9 -- the third-worst start to a season in franchise history. Only Anthony Young (0-13 in 1993) and Bob Miller (0-12 in 1962) started a season with more futility.

Marcum’s ERA swelled to 5.76 after getting charged with five runs on six hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. It could have been worse. He departed with two runners in scoring position. Carlos Torres entered and struck out Dan Uggla.

Terry Collins has not precisely revealed how many more turns the Mets will stick with a six-man rotation, but he vowed it will not persist beyond the All-Star break, and offered indications it may end sooner.

A half-inning after the Mets tied the score with a three-run fifth courtesy of Kris Medlen’s sloppiness after fielding a comebacker, Marcum could not prevent the Braves from regaining the lead.

Marcum surrendered a leadoff double to Jordan Schafer. He ultimately scored the tiebreaking run on a two-out wild pitch to Brian McCann with the count 2-2.

McCann eventually walked. Justin Upton followed with an RBI double that staked division-leading Atlanta to a 5-3 lead.

The big blow against Marcum had come on Chris Johnson’s three-run homer in the fourth.

Marcum entered this start off an outing against the Chicago Cubs in which he allowed six runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Debutant: Eric Young Jr., batting leadoff and playing center field, opened the game and his Mets career with a leadoff single. He finished 1-for-4, including grounding into an eighth-inning double play.

That’s a relief: Torres tossed 2 1/3 no-hit innings after taking over for Marcum. The ex-Rockie has now contributed 4 1/3 scoreless innings over two appearances since a promotion from Triple-A Las Vegas.

How they scored: Trailing 3-0, the Mets had good fortune in the top of the fifth.

Medlen retired 11 straight after Young’s game-opening single, until Marlon Byrd opened the fifth with a single. Lucas Duda was hit by a pitch. John Buck then sent a screaming comebacker to Medlen.

Medlen fielded the ball and attempted to get the lead-runner Byrd. He instead threw the ball past the third baseman Johnson, who had not yet arrived at the bag. Rather than Medlen initiating a crippling double play, two runs scored. Kirk Nieuwenhuis followed with a game-tying RBI single. Two of the three runs were unearned.

What’s next: Jonathon Niese (3-6, 4.15 ERA) opposes left-hander Mike Minor (8-2, 2.68) in the rubber game of the five-game series.

Why am I a 39 yr old batboy in extended? Dominic Smith first game! Ha! Beat ya Adam Rubin! pic.twitter.com/OhpMnSUUbG

— Tim Byrdak (@Givemethelefty) June 19, 2013

ATLANTA -- First-round pick Dominic Smith began working out in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Wednesday as the Mets confirmed they had signed their top 14 picks and 24 of 41 selections overall.

Rd. 1 (11th overall), Dominic Smith, 1B, Serra (Calif.) HS

Rd. 2 (48th), Andrew Church, RHP, Basic (Nev.) HS

Rd. 3 (76th), Ivan Wilson, CF, Ruston (La.) HS.

Rd. 3 (84th), Casey Meisner, RHP, Cypress Woods (Texas) HS.

Rd. 4 (116th), LJ Mazzilli, 2B, UConn.

Rd. 5 (146th), Jared King, LF, Kansas State

Rd. 6 (176), Champ Stuart, CF, Brevard (N.C.) College

Rd. 7 (206), Matt Oberste, 1B, University of Oklahoma

Rd. 8 (236), Ricky Knapp, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast

Rd. 9 (266), Patrick Biondi, CF, Michigan

Rd. 10 (296), Luis Guillorme, SS, Coral Springs (Fla.) Charter HS

Rd. 11 (326th), Tyler Bashlor, RHP, South Georgia College

Rd. 12 (356th), Jeff McNeil, SS, Cal St. Long Beach

Rd. 13 (386th), Kevin McGowan, RHP, Franklin Pierce

Rd. 15 (446th), Colton Plaia, C, Loyola Marymount

Rd. 16 (476th), Zach Mathieu, 1B, Franklin Pierce

Rd. 18 (536th), Brent McMinn, RHP, Nevada

Rd. 20 (596th), Dan Herrmann, RHP, Christian Brothers College HS (Miss.)

Rd. 23 (686th), Gaither Bumgardner, RHP, South Carolina Upstate

Rd. 25 (746th), Ricky Jacquez, RHP, Central Arizona

Rd. 28 (836th), Robert Coles, RHP, Florida State

Rd. 34 (1,016th), Cameron Griffin, RHP, Santa Ana College

Rd. 35 (1,046th), Ty Williams, RHP, Seminole State (Okla.)

Rd. 38 (1,136th), Paul Paez, LHP, Rio Hondo College (Calif.)

ATLANTA -- Pitching prospect Luis Mateo underwent Tommy John surgery last week.

Mateo, a 23-year-old right-hander, made a combined four early season appearances with Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton before being shut down with elbow inflammation.

Since his pro debut in 2011, he is 11-8 with a 2.55 ERA in 29 appearances (27 starts).

ATLANTA -- The clock is ticking on the Mets using a six-man rotation.

Terry Collins suggested the club definitely will return to a conventional rotation by the time the second half begins on July 19. And the manager offered no indication Shaun Marcum, Jeremy Hefner and Dillon Gee all would have rotation spots that long.

"Not very many," Collins said about the remaining number of turns with the extra starter now that Zack Wheeler has entered the rotation. "I mean, I don't have a number in mind. Probably one more. We'll see where everything fits after that. Out of the All-Star break we'll be at five for sure."

The six-man rotation had been prompted in part by Jonathon Niese and Gee dealing with tendinitis issues, with the thinking being that extra rest would benefit them.

Marcum is not immune from losing his rotation spot because of his $4 million base salary. And with the way Gee has pitched over his last four starts, Marcum is starting to look even more vulnerable. The other option, barring an injury in the interim, would be to move Hefner to the bullpen or option him to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Marcum does have some serious bonus-money opportunities the Mets can get around by bouncing him from the rotation. He enters tonight's start against the Atlanta Braves at 0-8 with a 5.43 ERA. He allowed six runs in 5 2/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs in his last start.

"When we get back to five guys, I think we're going to take the five guys that we think are the best to run out there every fifth day, and what gives us the best opportunity to win," Collins said.

Asked if who might be most adaptable to bullpen work might be a factor in which starter to bounce, Collins said: "No. 1, you've got to take the five best starters -- the guys you think are going to be the best guys. If that means one of them has got to slide to the bullpen -- and if they can't do -- you have to make some other arrangements.

"There could be somebody who may have some options who ... has to go to Triple-A to stay sharp. But that's a long way off right now."

ATLANTA -- Scott Atchison is back on the disabled list without ever throwing a pitch in a game.

Atchison, who was activated Tuesday after a month absence, took the mound in the seventh inning on Tuesday night, only to depart after throwing a handful of warm-up pitches because of a groin strain.

Atchison had just been activated from a DL stint prompted by finger numbness related to a bone spur in his pitching elbow.

Atchison's return to the DL capped a flurry of moves since the Mets swept a Tuesday doubleheader. Eric Young Jr. was acquired from the Colorado Rockies for Collin McHugh. Collin Cowgill was designated for assignment. Andrew Brown was promoted from Las Vegas. And Zack Wheeler temporarily was demoted until he next is needed, to face the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Before Tuesday's doubleheader, Justin Turner had landed on the DL with an intercostal muscle strain on his left side.

ATLANTA -- Count Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann among the fans of Zack Wheeler after going 0-for-2 with a walk and strikeout against the debuting Mets prospect on Tuesday night.

"He's going to be a No. 1 for a long time," McCann said. "They've got him and [Matt] Harvey -- and you throw [Dillon] Gee and [Jon] Niese in the mix -- they're headed in the right direction. That's for sure. You throw two power arms like that at the top of your rotation -- the sky's the limit for those two guys."

McCann and Wheeler, as well as Chipper Jones, are represented by the same agent. McCann has known Wheeler since the right-hander was drafted sixth overall by the San Francisco Giants in 2009.

"Facing him last night, his fastball is obviously electric," McCann said. "He also threw some really good changeups in there. He threw a good slider, a good curveball. I think once he realizes the situations -- what he can and can't do -- he's going to be a top-of-the-rotation guy for a long time."

McCann excused Wheeler's five walks as jitters. McCann, like Wheeler, grew up in Georgia and made his major league debut at Turner Field.

Said McCann: "When you, your whole life, have wanted to get to the big leagues, and all of a sudden you're here pitching in your home state -- it seemed like everyone yesterday was here to see him -- there's going to be nerves. But he settled down, made his pitches when he had to, went six scoreless. You can't ask for much more than he did in his debut."

ATLANTA -- Ruben Tejada will not be returning to the Mets in the near future.

Tejada, who landed on the disabled list May 30 with a right quadriceps strain, still is not ready to do any lateral movements as he fields grounders in Port St. Lucie, according to Terry Collins. Tejada also is only hitting off a tee.

Last season, a right quadriceps strain sidelined Tejada for seven weeks.

Omar Quintanilla, despite recently enduring an 0-for-22 hitting skid, is batting .250 with two homers and seven RBIs in 64 at-bats since replacing Tejada. With Justin Turner (side muscle) now on the DL, Jordany Valdespin would serve as the backup to Quintanilla.

ATLANTA -- Eric Young Jr. tonight becomes the 10th leadoff hitter for the Mets this season. And Terry Collins suggests he will appear in the No. 1 slot in the batting order and in center field "quite often" -- giving the Mets their first bona fide leadoff hitter since Jose Reyes, according to the manager.

Young, acquired from the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night for Collin McHugh, joined the team this afternoon.

The Mets last used 10 leadoff hitters in a season in 2003.

"He's a switch-hitter who we're going to probably play quite often to see what he brings to the table and see where he best fits," Collins said. "We'll pick and choose our spots for the other guys. So hopefully he brings that energy and that speed that he brought to Colorado and helps get us going offensively.

"I certainly don't know what went on in Colorado. I don't care. He's here and we're going to try to see if he can help us. ... We're hoping he brings something to the table that we haven't had since Jose [Reyes] -- that guy that can get on and create runs."

Young has started 48 games in left field, 44 games at second base, 33 games in right field and 29 games in center field in his major league career. He told Collins his most comfortable position is center field, although he was frequently boxed out there in Colorado by Dexter Fowler.

Young said he was pleased to join the Mets, in part because he was raised in Piscataway, N.J., and still has family there.

"I definitely still go back and visit on holidays, so pretty much the whole state has been calling me up so far," Young said. "... My dad is excited. I think he always wanted to be a Met. He never got the chance to. He's excited for me. And, like I said, I'm excited."

Young spent the several days in limbo while he was designated for assignment working out in Arizona, where his wife's family resides. He was hitting .242 with one homer and eight steals in 165 at-bats with Colorado this season. He is the son of 15-year major leaguer Eric Young.

"Whenever I got the call, I wanted to be ready to go," he said.

ATLANTA -- In his first tweet since April 15, Sandy Alderson tied the celebrated Matt Harvey-Zack Wheeler doubleheader with the Mets' aborted partnership with a dating web site and Bob Costas' criticism of the Mets' Sunday walk-off celebration:

.@MattHarvey33 & @Wheelerpro45 both won Tuesday. All of Western civilization was uplifted, including the Cougar Club.

— Sandy Alderson (@MetsGM) June 19, 2013

ATLANTA -- Here is the lineup as Eric Young Jr. makes his Mets debut and Shaun Marcum again bids for his first Mets win.

Mets
Eric Young Jr., cf
Daniel Murphy, 2b
David Wright, 3b
Marlon Byrd, rf
Lucas Duda, 1b
John Buck, c
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, lf
Omar Quintanilla, ss
Shaun Marcum, rhp

Braves
Jordan Schafer, rf
Andrelton Simmons, ss
Freddie Freeman, 1b
Justin Upton, lf
Brian McCann, c
B.J. Upton, cf
Dan Uggla, 2b
Chris Johnson, 3b
Kris Medlen, rhp

Boy I'm glad I retired! Would not wanna face Harvey and Wheeler 5 or 6 times a year for the next 10yrs. Those boys were electric yesterday!

— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) June 19, 2013

2012 first-round pick Gavin Cecchini had a taste of Brooklyn at the end of last season, participating in the final week of the regular season and then experiencing the playoffs with the Cyclones.

“Obviously my favorite part is when we clinched,” said the 19-year-old shortstop from Lake Charles, La. “Some of us are over 21, but we were popping apple cider in the clubhouse and stuff like that.”

After spending March, April, May and early June in Port St. Lucie, Cecchini is now back with the Cyclones, this time as the starting shortstop. He made his season debut Monday on Opening Day at Staten Island, albeit committing a costly error.

“You ask anybody who has played in extended [spring training]. It’s a little tough,” Cecchini said about the wait to start his season. “But I try to look at it as it’s the game I love to play, and I’m out here playing baseball. And that’s really all that matters -- no matter if I’m playing in front of five people, which is what it was in extended, or 10,000 or 8,000 over here in Brooklyn.”

How is Cecchini a better player than one year ago, when he was drafted 12th overall and signed for $2.3 million?

“I think I’m way more consistent than last year with hitting, fielding, baserunning,” he said. “It’s really the small things, man. Talent can only take you so far. The rest of it is all mental. The people who can get over failure the quickest are the ones that are going to be the best. There’s no doubt that I know how to handle the failure and move on.”

Cecchini’s path is easier because his brother blazed it before him. Third baseman Garin Cecchini, a fourth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2010, is hitting .350 with five homers and 33 RBIs for high-A Salem. The brothers played two years of high school ball together. They train together in the offseason in Louisiana, too, along with Yankees minor league shortstop Carmen Angelini, Padres high-A shortstop Jace Peterson and outfielder/third baseman Josh Prince, who made his major league debut with the Brewers this season.

“Obviously he went through the whole summer circuit and the draft before me,” Gavin said about Garin. “I had an edge, and I have an edge, on a lot of the players because I have a brother who has been there through that and who teaches me how to handle things and go through things. I learn from the mistakes he made and I take the good things he does.

“He’s an awesome baseball player. He’s doing unbelievable this year. He’s hitting like .360. Something like that. Hopefully he gets a call-up to Double-A at the All-Star break. He made the All-Star team. He’s awesome. He’s not only a great player, but an awesome person, too.”

Organization leaders

Average: James Roche, Brooklyn, .667; LJ Mazzilli, Brooklyn, .500; Jorge Rivero, Brooklyn, .500; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, .361; Nelfi Zapata, Brooklyn, .333; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, .330; Allan Dykstra, Binghamton, .318; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, .314; Josh Rodriguez, Binghamton, .314; Travis Taijeron, Binghamton, .312.

Homers: Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 13; Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 13; Travis Taijeron, Binghamton, 13; Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Vegas, 10; Allan Dykstra, Binghamton, 10.

RBI: Wilmer Flores, Vegas, 54; Dustin Lawley, St. Lucie, 48; Jayce Boyd, Savannah, 46; Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 46; Kevin Plawecki, Savannah, 43.

Steals: Cesar Puello, Binghamton, 17; Darrell Ceciliani, Binghamton, 15; Alonzo Harris, Binghamton, 13.

ERA: Shane Bay, Brooklyn, 0.00; Akeel Morris, Brooklyn, 0.00; Rainy Lara, St. Lucie, 1.54; Rafael Montero, Vegas, 2.40; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 2.41; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 2.77; Noah Syndergaard, St. Lucie, 3.11; Robert Gsellman, Brooklyn, 3.14; Luis Cessa, Savannah, 3.24; Angel Cuan, St. Lucie, 3.74.

Wins: Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 8; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 8; Gabriel Ynoa, Savannah, 8; Rafael Montero, Vegas, 7.

Saves: Jeff Walters, Binghamton, 16; Bret Mitchell, Savannah, 10; T.J. Chism, St. Lucie, 7; Beck Wheeler, Savannah, 6; Hamilton Bennett, St. Lucie, 4.

Strikeouts: Rafael Montero, Vegas, 84; Matt Bowman, St. Lucie, 73; Zack Wheeler, Vegas, 73; Carlos Torres, Vegas, 67; Logan Verrett, Binghamton, 66.

Short hops

• Noah Syndergaard allowed one hit in a scoreless inning and earned the win and starting left fielder Dustin Lawley went 3-for-4 and scored twice to lead the South past the North, 8-1, in Saturday’s Florida State League All-Star Game. T.J. Rivera played a full game at second base and went 0-for-5.

Syndergaard -- the highly regarded right-hander acquired in the R.A. Dickey trade -- now should head to Double-A Binghamton for the second half, part of a trickle-up of top prospects.

Also expected to be on the move: catcher Kevin Plawecki (.314, 6 HR, 43 RBIs), first baseman Jayce Boyd (.361, 5 HR, 46 RBIs) and outfielder Brandon Nimmo (.302, 1 HR, 21 RBIs) from first-half division champ Savannah to St. Lucie.

Boyd went 1-for-3, Plawecki went 0-for-2 and Nimmo went 0-for-1 in Tuesday night’s 2-1 South Atlantic League All-Star Game loss to the North at Lakewood, N.J. Savannah teammates Beck Wheeler and Bret Mitchell combined to toss a scoreless relief inning.

• With Las Vegas short starting pitchers with Zack Wheeler and Carlos Torres promoted and Collin McHugh designated for assignment and then traded to the Rockies for Eric Young Jr., Jacob deGrom was promoted from Binghamton to the 51s’ rotation. Whether deGrom remains or returns to the B-Mets will be discussed after evaluating last night’s start (5.2 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K). DeGrom, a ninth-round pick in 2010 from Stetson, in part was chosen because he was on the proper rest.

• Right-hander Dylan Owen underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee.

• Allan Dykstra, acquired from the Padres at the end of spring training in 2011 in a change-of-scenery trade for fellow first-round-pick Eddie Kunz, is on a tear with Binghamton. Dykstra, a first baseman, is hitting .412 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 11 games in June. He also has walked 11 times, giving him a .553 on-base percentage this month. For the season, Dykstra is hitting .318 with 10 homers and 42 RBIs in 176 at-bats.

• From the small-world department: Brooklyn catcher Colton Plaia, a 15th-round pick from Loyola Marymount, played high school ball in California for coach Brett Kay. Kay was the primary catcher for the inaugural edition of the Cyclones in 2001. Kay shared in a New York-Penn League championship that season.

• Shortstop Amed Rosario, who last summer was handed the largest international signing bonus in franchise history ($1.75 million), is expected to open in the Appalachian League with Kingsport when play begins Thursday. That’s a rare feat at 17 years old. Wilmer Flores also played for the K-Mets at that age, back in 2008.

• The Mets’ revived Gulf Coast League team opens play Friday. Players assigned to that squad should include first-round pick Dominic Smith as well as 18-year-old outfielder Wuilmer Becerra, who arrived with Travis d’Arnaud and Syndergaard for Dickey last December. Smith tweeted Tuesday: “I will start my professional career tomorrow! I’m very excited to get out there and practice with my team for the first time!”

• Lefty reliever Jim Fuller has a 0.84 ERA in 16 appearances with St. Lucie. In 32 innings, he has allowed 15 hits and 16 walks while striking out 31. Lefties are hitting .116 against him.

• Center-field prospect Matt den Dekker made his season debut in the minors on Monday with St. Lucie after recovering from a fractured right wrist suffered in a Grapefruit League game on March 24.

• Left-hander Darin Gorski (shoulder) returned from the DL last Wednesday to toss four innings for Binghamton. He last had appeared April 26 with Vegas.

• Cesar Puello is day-to-day with a finger injury, which he suffered sliding into second base last week at Trenton.

• B-Mets outfielder Cory Vaughn will not require surgery on his ailing right elbow. He instead is rehabbing in Port St. Lucie.

ATLANTA -- One reason why the Mets did not pursue re-signing Jon Rauch after last season? Let's just say it was known around the club that Matt Harvey was not a fan, and that the teammates had an incident last season.

In a well-written feature on the Harvey-Zack Wheeler celebration Tuesday, Jeff Passan at Yahoo! relays the story of Rauch trying to haze the sleeping rookie Harvey last season. Writes Passan:

Rauch, according to people who saw the incident, barged into the room with bucket of ice water, which he proceeded to dump on Harvey. It waterlogged Harvey's phone, which was resting on his chest as an alarm, and incited an even more electrical reaction inside Harvey.

He bounded up and challenged Rauch to a fight. Right there. Right then. He gave up 7 inches, about 75 pounds and a gallon or so of bad ink. It didn't matter that he was a rookie. Harvey would not be a joke. He would not be a punch line in Rauch's re-telling. He would not let some mediocre clown play him.

Rauch backed away.