Jeff McNeil’s right shoulder has been barking for the past week, and Thursday the discomfort finally pushed him to the bench.

The New York Mets will send their promising rookie to the mound on Friday in hopes of slowing a brutal recent skid against the Atlanta Braves.

BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves open a three-game series at home against the New York Mets on Friday. Atlanta has a 32-31 record in home games and a 58-69 record overall. The Braves have hit 143 total ...

Last August, the M’s staggered through a 1-8 trip to those foreign lands, the horrible places with their heat and humidity. That slog was even more dramatic, since manager Scott Servais was fired at ...