New York Mets

Mets starting pitcher Jonathon Niese pitched well Tuesday against the Reds, as he continues to turn his season around. However one error in the first inning ultimately cost him the game.

Niese got the first two batters in the first inning out, but ran into trouble with a pair of two-out walks and a single that loaded the bases. He appeared to get out of the inning when Todd Frazier hit a groundball right at third baseman David Wright, however the ball went through the Gold Glove winner's legs, allowing two runs to score.

Three runs would ultimately come around to score in the first, all unearned, but that was all for Niese over six strong innings. He allowed five hits and three walks, while striking out a season-high seven batters. Unfortunately, those three runs would be enough to sink the Mets, in a 4-0 loss.

Niese took the loss, despite lowering his ERA to 4.80. He is 3-5 through his first 10 starts of the season. He is scheduled to make his next start Monday against the Yankees at home. 

The Mets would like shortstop Ruben Tejada to settle in at the leadoff role, but his struggles this season have forced them to improvise at the top of the order.

Tejada is hitting just .213 on the season, and has struggled to square up the ball consistently;  12 of his last 15 outs have been flyballs, according to MLB.com. With Tejada's lack of power, that is not what the team wants out of him.

"There's some things you've got to do to work to your strengths, and Ruben's is hitting line drives," manager Terry Collins said. "Fly balls, they're great once in a while, when you hit one in the gap, but he's got to start being that line-drive guy that we know."

Tejada hit .289 with a .333 on-base percentage last season, a number that is down to .278 this year. He has hit .213 both in and out of the top spot in the order.

"If he was giving us the at-bats that we saw last year, he is the leadoff hitter," Collins said. "The guy that even with two strikes just battles the pitcher."

Mets outfielder Marlon Byrd provided all of his team's offense in a 4-3 loss Monday against the Reds with a three-run home run off Johnny Cueto in the third inning. It was Byrd's fourth home run and third in May.

Byrd is batting .343 (12 for 35) with a .657 slugging percentage, 1.026 OPS, two doubles, five runs and nine RBI in 12 May games (nine starts).

According to team sources, the Mets have discussed optioning Jordany Valdespin to Triple-A Las Vegas, reports the New York Daily News. The paper suggests while Valdespin might be the most talented outfielder on the roster, he is unprofessional, immature and distracting.

According to team sources, the Mets have discussed demoting starting shortstop Ruben Tejada to Triple-A Las Vegas, reports the New York Daily News. The team considered optioning Tejada to the minors after a brutal spring training and the demotion debate has stirred again in recent days.

Tejada has struggled both offensively and defensively in 2013. He's batting .213 through 42 games and has made seven errors. He made all of 12 errors in 112 games last season.

If Tejada was demoted, then Omar Quintanilla would likely become the team's starting shortstop.