Mets' Carlos Mendoza challenges players after latest blow to rotation

Starting pitcher Griffin Canning going down with an Achilles injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season during the New York Mets' 4-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night was the latest blow to what was already a depleted rotation.

Following the victory, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza seemed to send a message to his players regarding what needs to be done through at least the middle of July. 

"Guys will step up," Mendoza directly said about how the Mets must respond to this latest setback, per John Flanigan of SNY. "Our mentality is what do we need to do today. I’m confident in the guys we have in that room. I’m confident that the guys who will come up are going to give us opportunities to win baseball games, and we’ll continue to do so."

While Frankie Montas made his official Mets debut earlier this week coming off the high-grade lat strain he suffered during spring training, the Mets entered Friday without having ace Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and lefty Sean Manaea in the rotation. As noted by Jerry Beach of the Associated Press, Senga hasn't taken the bump since he went down with a hamstring strain on June 12. Megill (right elbow sprain) hasn’t pitched since June 14, and the rehabbing Manaea (oblique) was recently shut down from throwing due to a bone chip in his elbow.

"I know [Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns] is doing his part with his group," Mendoza said, according to Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News. "We’ve just got to stick together. Got to take it one day at a time, don’t look too far ahead."

History suggests that a to-be selling team won't be of much help to Stearns before next month's All-Star break wraps up ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Late Thursday night/early Friday morning, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that right-handed pitching prospect Blade Tidwell is expected to join the Mets for their three-game series at the Pittsburgh Pirates (32-50) that gets underway on Friday evening. 

One piece of good news for the walking-wounded Mets (48-34) is that they ended Thursday's action back atop the National League East standings following back-to-back victories over the Braves. The Amazins dropped 10 of their previous 11 games before Wednesday. 

"Everyone’s got belief in each other," Manaea added after the Canning injury, per David Lennon of Newsday. "It’s kind of the next-man-up mentality, and everybody that’s pitched for this team has been exceptional. I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. It’s part of the game, so we have to pick ourselves up and keep going."