What's next for Mets as games vs. Braves are postponed on Wednesday and Thursday?

The Mets' playoff fate could be settled back in Atlanta with a taxed pitching staff early next week.

The final two games of the series between the Mets and Braves on Wednesday and Thursday have been postponed due to rain from Hurricane Helene in the Atlanta area , Major League Baseball announced.

The games will be made up as part of a straight doubleheader on Monday, beginning at 1:10 p.m. at Truist Park. Those games will be played as long as they have bearing on the playoff race. The second game will begin 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first.

Mets face logistical challenge in playoff quest

When asked about the difficulty that the new schedule poses, with the MLB playoffs slated to begin on Tuesday, Carlos Mendoza told reporters, "If we're playing a playoff game, that's a good thing. I'm not going to get too far ahead. Right now, we just gotta concentrate on the next series.

"We didn't play today, we're not gonna play tomorrow and like I said, we have to take care of business there over the weekend and worry about the doubleheader when we get here and see what kind of shape and where we're at by then."

Entering Wednesday, the Mets held the second spot in the National League Wild Card picture, a half-game up on the Diamondbacks in the third spot and one game up on the Braves, who are currently the first team out.

The Mets are set to travel to Milwaukee for a three-game series with the Brewers beginning on Friday night before a return trip to Atlanta. The Braves will host the Royals for three games in Atlanta beginning on Friday.

"My job is to manage the team. We knew there was weather, but you can't predict (it). We came here yesterday, lost a game, we were ready to play today. We had a call and obviously everyone knows what's coming."

How Mets' pitching lines up for closing stretch

If the Mets can sweep the Brewers, they would clinch with two losses by the Braves. They can also clinch with two wins and three losses by the Braves to the Royals.

That leaves Mendoza with some difficult decisions about how to handle his pitching staff over the weekend's series with the Brewers. David Peterson and Sean Manaea were slated to pitch in the final two games against Atlanta, but any of the starters in the upcoming series would not be ready to pitch on Monday.

Jose Quintana was originally slated to make Friday's start but could be pushed back with the two postponements.

That leaves Luis Severino, who allowed four earned runs on seven hits and one walk in four innings against the Braves on Tuesday, as one of the likely starters for one of Monday's games. Tylor Megill could also be a possibility if he does not pitch over the weekend.

Francisco Lindor injury update

For the first time since being removed from the Mets' Sept. 15 game against the Phillies, Francisco Lindor was slated to return to the lineup on Wednesday before the postponement was announced.

Lindor missed eight straight games while dealing with back discomfort. He received a facet injection on Sept. 19 and a bone scan Monday showed no structural damage. Lindor was in the on-deck circle in the ninth inning of Tuesday's loss when the final out was made.

Now with the potential for five games still left to be played, there is more optimism that the Mets' start shortstop will be available. And Lindor will receive two more days to rest his ailing back before a critical series with the Brewers.

"I would love to see him be able to be himself," Brandon Nimmo told reporters Tuesday. "I think that's going to be a big tell, whether he's himself or he's playing through some pain. We'll see what that's all about. I just want him to do what's best for him because that'll be what's best for us."

This season, on the way to inserting himself in the NL MVP discussion, Lindor has an .836 OPS with 31 home runs, 86 RBI and 103 runs. Lindor's availability for the final stretch would be a boon for the Mets offense.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What's next for Mets as games vs. Braves are postponed on Wednesday and Thursday?