Wilmer Flores gets rest day as he tries to move forward from nearly being traded

Wilmer Flores got a mental health day Thursday.

Terry Collins decided to give Flores the day off in the Mets' 8-7 loss to the Padres at Citi Field, allowing him to recuperate mentally from the emotional night he endured on Wednesday.

"I've always known it's a business," Flores said. "I've just never been through this."

Flores broke down in tears while at shortstop in the eighth inning on Wednesday night after figuring out that he apparently had been traded. He and Zack Wheeler were sent to the Brewers for former Met Carlos Gomez, but the trade ultimately fell through over concerns about Gomez's hip. So Flores remained a Met.

He spoke to reporters about the ordeal after Thursday's game. "I didn't want to make that scene out there," he said. "I couldn't help it and that's it."

Flores and Collins spoke before Thursday's game. Collins said he believes the 23-year-old will recover from the strange near-trade and reassured him that he is wanted by many teams, including the Mets, because he is a good player.

"But," he said, "I also thought I'd give him today to kind of get himself back on the ground and move forward."

On Wednesday night, during what many believed would be his final at-bat as a Met, Flores received a standing ovation from the crowd, many of whom had learned about the trade via social media. He appreciated the reaction.

"They support me and it's a great feeling with everything that's going on," Flores said. "I've just got to get ready to play."

Gomez was dealt to the Houston Astros on Thursday night. With the Mets still actively looking to add another bat, Flores realizes that, until the non-waiver trade deadline passes at 4 p.m. Friday, there is always the possibility that he still could be dealt.

"I'm ready to play every day," he said. "I know [Friday] is the last day of the trade deadline and you never know where you're going to end up. But [Friday], I just go in there like another day."