The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies' NL East rivalry heats up beyond standings as both target Luis Robert Jr. and key relievers, escalating their trade deadline battle.

Phillies' Rob Thomson Announces Nick Castellanos Update After One Missed Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Right fielder Nick Castellanos is in his thirteenth major-league season and fourth with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The New York Mets (62-45) and the San Diego Padres (58-49) play the second game of a 3-game series Tuesday. First pitch from Petco Park is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Mets vs. Padres odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

New York Mets corner infielder Mark Vientos is in the midst of a disappointing season, one in which he's failed to build on last year's momentum. Predictably, Vientos has found himself the subject of recent trade rumors leading up to the July 31 deadline -- a dynamic he opted to talk about with reporters on Monday.

The New York Mets don't seem done adding bullpen arms just yet. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported on Tuesday that the Mets are among a slew of teams interested

The Philadelphia Phillies player was asked if Luis Robert Jr. could recapture his old Chicago White Sox success with a new team.

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was ejected vs. Padres after defending Juan Soto during a heated strikeout outburst.

"The Phillies' bullpen ranks 22nd in reliever ERA (4.22) and 14th in strikeout ratio (8.72 K/9). Philly has been employing a closer-by-committee approach to things, but right-handed pitcher Jordan Romano currently leads the team in saves with eight," Gauvain writes.