The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets provided some back-and-forth fireworks on Tuesday night at Citi Field, but any such sparks were going to be slower to follow up than expected for the middle game of the series on Wednesday night as heavy rain in the Queens area force the game to start in a rain delay.
Reports came out that the Mets grounds crew had already brought out the tarp hours before the scheduled first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday for the matchup between the two rivals and with heavier rains only making their way closer to the area around that time. A rain delay was all but inevitable, and then came the announcement that the delay was official.
The start of the Mets game has been delayed for weather. No further updates of yet.
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) August 13, 2025
Of course, whether you're watching at home — and despite the lost season for Atlanta — Braves and Mets fans were eager to watch the action on Wednesday. So when will the rain delay end and when will we get the first pitch in Queens? Let's take a look at the latest updates.
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Braves-Mets start time: When will the rain delay end at Citi Field?
An official start time for Wednesday's Braves-Mets game hasn't yet been announced but we're projecting an 8:45 p.m. ET first pitch at Citi Field. It's a pretty big storm system in the area and the Mets brought out the tarp several hours before the scheduled 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch. That weather system is expected to stay around Queens for quite some time and keep the game delayed until it clears out and the teams can get ready to play ball.
Citi Field weather forecast: What to expect in Queens for Braves-Mets
Speaking on the weather in Queens, the storms and heavy-ish rains are forecasted to stay in the area until just after 8 p.m. ET. There will still be light rain until a bit after 8:30 as well. However, that should be the perfect window for the grounds crew in Citi Field to be able to get the tarp off the field, pitchers to get warmed up and then for everyone to get ready to play ball on Wednesday night and add another chapter to this heated NL East rivalry.
Unfortunately, it looks as if there could be a chance for another rain delay during the game as a 51% chance of thunderstorms pops back up on the forecast somewhere around the 9 p.m. ET hour around Citi Field. If there's a silver lining, that could be short-lived, if it even comes to fruition, as any chance of thunderstorms is supposed to be out of the area by 10 p.m. ET.
Having said all of this, though, with the Braves and Mets schedule for the finale of the series on Thursday, if the weather persists in Queens, there's a non-zero chance that the two teams could opt for a doubleheader on Thursday.