Saturday, August 29, 2026 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, NY
LHP Bennett Sousa (1-3, 6.27) vs. RHP Nolan McLean (9-8, 3.21)
SNY

The Mets have a little slide going on right now. The Mets have scored only eight runs in their last five games, so it’s not surprising that they are 1-4 in those games. Today the Mets have Nolan McLean going today and the bats are facing an opener in Bennett Sousa. This feels like the type of game to snap a losing streak and get the bats going again.

There’s also some surprising news today! Juan Soto was activated. No rehab assignment! The Mets just dropped this news a little after noon. Soto has 2.7 bWAR over 84 games for the Mets’ season, slashing .283/.408/.539 and 21 home runs.

Photo Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

  1. Francisco Lindor – SS
  2. Juan Soto – DH
  3. Bo Bichette – 3B
  4. Carson Benge – RF
  5. Jared Young – 1B
  6. Marcus Semien – 2B
  7. A.J. Ewing – CF
  8. Brett Baty – LF
  9. Francisco Alvarez – C

Starting Pitcher: Nolan McLean

Nolan McLean has made 26 starts for the Mets this season, pitching 148 2/3 innings with a 3.21 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.143 WHIP, and a 127 ERA+. In his last three starts, he has allowed only two runs over 18 innings from eight hits and 10 walks while striking out 12 batters. In his last outing, he scattered four walks and a hit, putting up six scoreless innings. The only players on the Astros who have faced McLean in a Major League game are Nick Allen (0-for-2, K) and Daulton Varsho (1-for-3, 2B, 2 K).

Opposing Lineup

  1. Jeremy Peña – DH
  2. Yordan Alvarez – LF
  3. Isaac Paredes – 3B
  4. Jose Altuve – 2B
  5. Daulton Varsho – CF
  6. Christian Walker – 1B
  7. Taylor Trammell – RF
  8. Nick Allen – SS
  9. Christian Vázquez – C

Bennett Sousa has pitched in 22 games this season, totaling 18 2/3 innings with a 6.27 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 1.821 WHIP, and a 68 ERA+. This afternoon will be Sousa’s first opener of the season. Sousa has only pitched beyond one inning twice this season, most recently on Tuesday, when he pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees. The most pitches he has thrown in an outing is 28, which he did on Wednesday against the Yankees, where he allowed four runs on five hits and a walk while recording only one out. A few Mets have seen Sousa in a Major League game:

Game Notes

  • Since the All-Star Break, Mets relievers have pitched to a 2.61 (39 ER/134.1 IP) ERA, the third-lowest mark in the majors during that span.
  • A.J. Ewing’s 21 stolen bases lead all Major League rookies and are tied with Gregg Jefferies (1989) for the third-most by a rookie in franchise history. He is one stolen base shy of tying Lee Mazzilli (1977) for second-most and three stolen bases shy of tying Mookie Wilson‘s franchise rookie record set in 1981. He has recorded three career games with multiple stolen bases (also: 6/5 at SD and 7/29 vs. ATL). Ewing joins Darryl Strawberry and Wilson as the only rookies in franchise history to swipe multiple bags in a game on three separate occasions.
  • In 38 games following the All-Star break, Francisco Lindor is batting .252/.341/.463 with 21 runs, five doubles, one triple, eight homers, 19 walks, 21 RBI and an .804 OPS…This compares to a .216/.298/.373 with 22 runs, three doubles, three triples, five homers, 12 RBI, 16 walks and a .671 OPS in 40 games in the first half of the season.

Three Things To Watch For

  1. Bulk work for Astros. The Astros have two options in the bullpen for bulk work this afternoon. Cristian Javier has pitched 12 games this season, including eight starts, totaling 40 1/3 innings with a 6.47 ERA, 5.34 FIP, 1.661 WHIP and a 65 ERA+. August was rough for Javier. He had a 5.68 ERA, allowing 12 runs in 19 innings spread over four starts. If it’s not Javier, it’s going to be Imai. In 18 games, 15 starts, Imai has pitched 67 2/3 innings with a 5.32 ERA, 4.49 FIP, 1.463 WHIP and a 79 ERA+. He’s been used only in relief this month, allowing two runs over nine innings spread over three games. He hasn’t pitched since the 20th.
  2. Free-swinging Mets. The Mets have only eight hits while racking up 25 strikeouts in their last two games. Friday night, five different players (Ewing, Lindor, Benge, Robert Jr., and Baty) had at least two strikeouts. That’s a 25:4 K/BB ratio. If the Mets bats are going to turn it around this afternoon, they are going to need to rein in their swings a bit.
  3. Keeping the ball in the park. Even though the Mets lost Friday night, they didn’t allow the Houston Astros to hit the ball out of the park. The Astros are tied with the Cubs and White Sox for third in the league with home runs (179). It’s the third weekend in a row that the Mets are facing one of the top-three power-hitting teams. The Mets started off the season slow with home runs but are now 10th in the league with 163.

Let’s go Mets!