MLB: New York Mets at Atlanta Braves

New York Mets third baseman Wilmer Flores (4) reacts in the dugout after sliding into home base during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. (Shanna Lockwood | USA TODAY Sports)

PHILADELPHIA -- On the eve of a potential Wild Card game clincher, the Mets learned that they would have to continue their playoff push without another one of their key pieces: Wilmer Flores.

Manager Terry Collins said Friday that Flores would be shut down for the season due to a nagging bone bruise in his right wrist that has kept him sidelined for three weeks. The Mets had hoped that three days of rest would help Flores' wrist improve, but he remained unable to swing a bat on Friday.

The 25-year-old Mets infielder injured his wrist during a home-plate collision with A.J. Pierzynski in Atlanta on Sept. 10. Flores received two cortisone shots in an attempt to alleviate the discomfort, but his wrist remained slow to heal.

Flores had established himself as a significant weapon against left-handed pitching, batting .340 with a 1.093 OPS, 11 home runs and 28 RBI. Rookie T.J. Rivera, who is hitting .337 in 32 games, has helped fill the void at second base in Flores' absence.

"We get the news that we're not going to have Wilmer Flores," Collins said Saturday. "Here's a guy that was absolutely murdering left-handed pitching, and we had a lot of spots where he came up big. So you put T.J. Rivera in there, and he's stepped up."

The Mets had often started Flores at first base against left-handed starters, and Collins said the club could consider turning to other players to fill that role, including Eric Campbell and the switch-hitting Ty Kelly. (Lucas Duda and James Loney are both left-handed hitters.)

"We'll find somebody," Collins said.

Maria Guardado may be reached at mguardado@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @mi_guardado. Find NJ.com on Facebook.