NEW YORK -- On second thought and after a second opinion, the Mets will be without Cliff Floyd. One day after they had decided not to assign Floyd to the 15-day disabled list, the Mets did precisely that. A day after Floyd said he was pleased to remain active while the inflammation in his left Achilles' tendon subsides and one day after he pinch-hit, he was disabled for the second time this season and made ineligible to play for the full 15-day term.

The club announced its latest move shortly before the Mets played the second game of their series against the Padres on Wednesday night. The Mets would play shorthanded until the arrival of veteran outfielder Michael Tucker, who was expected at some point during the game. The club had purchased Tucker's contract from its Triple-A Norfolk affiliate after weighing a second medical opinion on Floyd.

Had Floyd not played on Tuesday, his assignment could have been made retroactive to Sunday.

Floyd had said Tuesday that his leg felt 100 percent better than it had Sunday, when he began using ice and taking anti-inflammatory medicine to eliminate tightness, stiffness and pain. He was under the impression he had avoided the DL.

A sprained left ankle suffered on June 7 caused his retroactive DL assignment on June 17. He was activated June 30.

General manager Omar Minaya said Tuesday the club had claimed Ricky Ledee off waivers to protect against an extended absence by Floyd. Ledee joined the team Wednesday, but Endy Chavez started in left as he had on Tuesday and Sunday. Chavez had replaced Floyd in left early in the game Saturday.

Floyd experienced problems with his right Achilles in 2003 and underwent surgery in August that year. He said Sunday the problems in his right leg were significantly worse than what he has endured this season and that problems with his left worsened during the All-Star break.

Tucker, 35 and a left-handed hitter, signed with the Mets on April 26 as a Minor League free agent. He was released by the Nationals on March 30. He was batting .265 with 33 RBIs, 44 runs, six home runs and a .381 on-base percentage with the Tides. He appeared in 83 games and had 275 at-bats.

Metropolitan miscellany: Jose Reyes led the National League in stolen bases last season with 60, two more than Mookie Wilson had in 1982 and six fewer than the club record Roger Cedeno established in 1999. In stealing second and third base in the sixth inning on Tuesday night in the Mets' 111th game, Reyes increased his 2006 total to 47, the most in the big leagues by six and the sixth-highest total in Mets history. His 47th steal last season came in the Mets' 132nd game.

The Elias Sports Bureau determined that before Tuesday night, the Mets and Padres hadn't played each other as first-place teams since 1985 -- May 20-22 at Shea and May 31-June 2 in San Diego. ... The 3-2 victory Tuesday night was the 25th instance of the Mets coming from behind to win. ... The Mets remain the only division leader in the National League with a winning record in intra-division games. Through Tuesday, their record was 29-15. The Padres' and Cardinals' respective intra-division records were 20-22 and 24-26.

This date in Mets history, Aug. 10: After scoring two runs in 27 innings -- covering three starts -- against Sandy Koufax, the Mets scored three runs in their fourth game against him, on this date in 1965. They lost, 4-3, nonetheless.

Three years later on this date, Jerry Koosman lost a shutout in the ninth inning when he surrendered a home run to Willie McCovey. But he pitched a complete game and gained his 15th victory in the Mets' 3-1 victory in Candlestick Park.

On Aug. 10, 1969, Nolan Ryan, Don Cardwell and Tug McGraw combined to shut out the Braves on five hits. The 3-0 victory was the Mets' 13th shutout. It came in their 110th game. They pitched 15 more shutouts in their last 52 games.

On this date in 1981, the Mets defeated the Cubs, 7-5, in 13 innings at Wrigley Field in their first game after the settlement of the 50-day players strike. The victory was their 18th in 52 games to date.

On Aug. 10, 1992, Vince Coleman walked five times, was thrown out on his only attempted steal and didn't score in the Mets' 14-inning, 4-2 loss to the Pirates at Shea Stadium.

Coming up: Young vs. old-er. The third game of the Padres-Mets series on Thursday afternoon (a 12:10 p.m. ET start) pits Chris Young, 27, against Orlando Hernandez, listed as 36. A game for the ages.