New York Mets

          Morning Briefing: Back to work!

          KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After a day off in Kansas City, the New York Mets complete their two-game season-opening series against the Royals with a 4:15 p.m. ET game on Tuesday.

          Noah Syndergaard, who irked the Royals during Game 3 of the World Series with his first pitch to the backstop, digs in for a rematch. He opposes ex-Met Chris Young, who moved up in the rotation with originally scheduled starter Ian Kennedy dealing with a hamstring issue.

          Syndergaard had a stellar spring training, including striking out 20 and walking one in 20 2/3 Grapefruit League innings.

          Terry Collins suggested that the Mets should benefit from maximizing the lefty bats in the lineup against Young, which figures to mean Alejandro De Aza getting his first Mets start and Juan Lagares heading to the bench.

          After the game, the Mets fly to New York. However, they have to wait until Friday for the home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.

          TUESDAY’S NEWS REPORTS:

          • David Wright's Opening Night reminded columnist Joel Sherman in the Post of the fading phase of the careers of former Yankees captains Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter. Writes Sherman: “Trying to discern what will occur over 162 games based on one is like making a judgment on ‘Moby-Dick’ based on ‘Call me Ishmael.’ But there are chapters already written about this version of Wright coping with the wrecking ball of spinal stenosis. … On Sunday night, [Eric] Hosmer beat out a sixth-inning bunt against a shift in which Wright was the only player on the left side of the infield. It was bang-bang and Hosmer beat Wright’s throw. Perhaps more telling was the previous inning when Omar Infante, quick but no speedster, beat out a chopper to Wright, whose throw lacked zip.” Read more on Wright’s rough opener at MLB.com.

          • Columnist David Lennon in Newsday finds four positives in the season-opening loss: Michael Conforto reaching base four times, a dependable middle infield, a solid bullpen contribution and battling to the end.

          • Neil Best in Newsday reviews the Opening Night TV ratings. Writes Best: “Sunday night’s Mets-Royals World Series rematch on ESPN averaged 26.4 percent of homes in the Kansas City area -- the best rating for any Major League Baseball opener in any market in records that date to 2001. That dwarfed the 5.6 percent of homes that watched the Mets’ 4-3 loss in the New York area, a vastly larger market than Kansas City. Nationally, the game averaged a 2.1 rating in major markets, a strong figure for the Sunday night series.”

          • Best in Newsday also writes that it’s not time for Mets fans to panic.

          • David Waldstein in the Times reviews Yoenis Cespedes' deficiencies from the opener -- a dropped line drive in the first inning and a game-ending strikeout with the tying run at third base.

          • A New Jersey lawmaker is attempting to ban smokeless tobacco at ballparks in his state too, Jonathan D. Salant writes at NJ.com. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to sign into law on Wednesday a smokeless tobacco ban at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium.

          • An excerpt from Ron Darling’s new book is reprinted in the Wall Street Journal.

          • Columnist John Harper in the Daily News examines how the Mets will juggle their outfield playing time with Conforto and Lagares both meriting at-bats.

          • From the bloggers … Mets Report didn’t care for Cespedes’ response to why he dropped Monday’s first-inning line drive.

          BIRTHDAYS: Lastings Milledge turns 31. ... Luis Ortega is 23.

          TWEET OF THE DAY:

          YOU’RE UP: Where should Wright be placed in the batting order?