New York fell behind the eight ball early, as Jeremy Pena took Mets’ starter Zac Thornton deep to lead off the game. Thornton settled in after, allowing only one more run over the next four innings. In all, the Mets’ rookie went five innings allowed the two runs on six hits, no walks, and struck out five. His season ERA rose slightly to 2.93.

The Mets’ offense responded quickly after the lead-off Pena homer. Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto went back-to-back in the bottom of the first to get the Mets back on top. Luis Torrens then grounded into a double play bringing home A.J. Ewing who walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a bad throw.

The three runs, on only five hits, was all the Mets’ offense generated which was not enough. Bo Bichette was the lone Met to have a multi-hit game (2-for-3).

After the Torrens’ double play, Jonathan Pintaro served up a go-ahead home run to LaMonte Wade Jr., who replaced Cam Smith as a pinch-hitter, in the sixth inning. The Astros added their fifth and sixth runs after Jared Young‘s throw home went awry as New York tried to turn a 3-3-2 double play. Jefry Yan was hit with two runs, one earned, in the seventh.

New York had a last-ditch effort in the eighth frame when Carson Benge came to the plate as the tying run, however, he popped one up to shallow right field.

The Mets have now lost four of their last five games after being one of the hotter teams in baseball since the trade deadline.

Player of the Game: Juan Soto

New York’s superstar has not missed a step since returning from injury. He reached base twice in four plate appearances, including a solo home run to give the Mets’ a brief 2-1 lead. His OPS is at .950 which would be one of the top marks in the major leagues if he qualified.

On Deck

The Mets travel to Tampa Bay to begin a three-game set on Monday. The first game of the series is slated for a 6:40 pm ET first pitch. The projected pitching matchup is Robert Stock versus Ian Seymour. The Rays are one of the best teams in baseball.

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Saturday afternoon the New York Mets and Juan Soto surprised everyone. Soto was activated off the injured list four hours before the start of Saturday’s game.

Following, Nolan McLean though stole the show. He pitched seven innings allowing only one unearned run as the Mets went on to win the game 6-2. Now the Mets have an opportunity to win the series against the Astros this afternoon.

Mets Lineup

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

Starting Pitcher: Zac Thornton

Zac Thornton has pitched 56 1/3 innings over 10 starts this season with a 2.88 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.154 WHIP, and a 142 ERA+. Thornton has allowed either three or four runs in five of his 10 starts. In is other five starts he has allowed either none or one.

His last time out he allowed only one run over six innings from seven hits against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Astros have one of the top offenses in the league, hitting 180 home runs already this season (fourth in the league), so Sunday will be another good test in Thornton’s development.

Astros Lineup

1. Jeremy Pena – SS
2. Yordan Alvarez – LF
3. Isaac Parades – DH
4. Jose Altuve – 2B
5. Daulton Varsho – CF
6. Christian Walker – 1B
7. Yanier Diaz – C
8. Cam Smith – RF
9. Nick Allen – SS

Starting Pitcher: Ethan Pecko

The Mets’ bats will get a look at rookie Ethan Pecko Sunday afternoon. In his first two major league starts he has allowed seven runs from eight hits and seven walks over eight innings. He faced the Yankees in the Bronx earlier in the week who scored five runs and hit two home runs against him.

Pecko is currently listed as the ninth-best prospect in the Astros system by MLB Pipeline. He throws a mid-90 mph fastball that can be anywhere between 93 and 98. He mixes in a slider, cutter, curveball, and changeup to round out his arsenal.

Game Notes

Luis Robert Jr. was placed on waivers Saturday. It is very unlikely he is claimed.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Juan Soto. Juan Soto had a quiet return to the lineup Saturday going 1-for-4 with an RBI. The RBI was his 750th in his career. He still has a high .941 OPS on the season. If he qualified for the leader board he would be behind Yordan Alvarez (1.044) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (.944), but ahead of James Wood (.928). Soto’s next big milestone is 1,000 career walks. He needs 31 before the end of the season which is not impossible but would be difficult to do with a month to go.
2. Jared Young. Young cooled off for four games, going 2-for-15 at the plate with a double. Then, Saturday, he went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Since August 5, Jared Young has slashed .338/.350/.532 over 21 games with 26 hits including six doubles, three triples and home run.
3. Marcus Semien. Semien has six hits in his last four games. Specifically, he has collected exactly two hits three times in his last four games. He’s looked a lot better in August slashing .253/.330/.349 over 24 games raising his season line from .210/.266/.351 to .219/.279/.350.

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Obviously, if everything was going well Clifford would not have been put on this list. On the season Clifford is slashing .175/.267/.344 (.611 OPS). Both his 72.9% zone-contact rate and 37.9% strikeout rate are the worst in Triple-A while his 34.6% whiff rate is in the bottom five percent in Triple-A. He has been put on this list because there is something he needs to fix.

But what is the development list and what players have come off it to have success?

So What is the Development List?

Created in 2021 the development list allows minor league organizations to monitor prospect’s usage and development, while allowing the player to stay with the team to continue learning. It has been used for anything from helping to limit a pitcher’s pitch count to making large swing overhauls. It is for healthy players the team want to get more hands on instruction outside of game play.

Utilizing this list removes the player from that minor league team roster, also opening up a spot for another player to get playing time. In the case of Ryan Clifford, that player was Billy Amick. Instead of putting the player on the injured list with a “phantom injury” they can be put on the development list. Players also get to keep the salary for the level they are at while on the list.

Ryan Clifford. Photo Credit: James Farrance

What Players Have Had Success After Being on This List?

The biggest success story of a player put on the development list for performance is probably Geraldo Perdomo who was put on the list July 8, 2021. At the time Perdomo was slashing .151/.305/.204 (.509 OPS) in Double-A. When he returned from the list between Double-A and Triple-A across the remainder of the season he slashed .329/.414/.521 (.935 OPS) and even got the call to the majors at the end of the season slashing .258/.378/.419 (.797 OPS) across 11 games.

Perdomo has gone on to be a .253/.350/.374 (.724 OPS) hitter across 690 games which includes an all star appearance in 2023 and a fourth-place MVP finish and Silver Slugger Award in 2025. His major league success helped him earn a four-year $45 million contract.

A recent debut who was put on the list for offensive struggles was Joshua Baez. He was placed on the development list on July 30, 2024 and there were questions at the time about whether or not he would be protected in the rule five draft. At the time he was slashing .225/.306/.388 (.694 OPS) and was coming off a month where he hit .171 with only three extra bases. In his fifteen games after going on the list he slashed .340/.459/.500 (.959 OPS) and by the time he debuted in the majors he was considered one of the best prospects in the game. He started off his major league career with four home runs and while he has not done a ton in the few games since, he has the tools to have a strong major league career.

Evan Carter is a bit more of a mixed bag. He was put on development list on June 2, 2023 after struggling through May slashing .226/.321/.269 (.590 OPS). By the end of that season he debuted in the majors slashing .306/.413/.645 (1.058 OPS) across 23 games, playing a huge part in the Texas Rangers 2023 World Series win. He struggled in 2024 and has battled injuries across the last few seasons, but had a decent 2025 slashing .247/.336/.392 (.728 OPS).

A player who has not debuted but has drastically improved his stock is Arjun Nimmala who was placed on the development list May 14, 2024 while slashing .167/.280/.306 (.586 OPS). He returned in June and for the remainder of the season slashed. .263/.346/.565 (.911 OPS). MLB Pipeline currently has him ranked the 38th-best prospect in baseball and he was the centerpiece in the Jose Soriano trade at the most recent trade deadline.

Some players are moved for load management reasons like Jackson Merrill who performed well in 2023 with a .782 OPS before going on the list or Braxton Ashcraft in 2023 who at the time had thrown a career high innings pitched but had a 1.35 ERA in Double-A.

What Does This Mean for Ryan Clifford?

Going on the development list is not a death sentence. What it means is that he has legitimate issues that need to be addressed that the team felt could not be addressed through playing Triple-A games. We have seen him struggle and bounce back before. With the Mets in 2023 he slashed .188/.307/.376 (.683 OPS). He followed that up with seasons where he put up a .793 and then .826 OPS.

Clifford needs to figure out why he is struggling so heavily to make contact and see the ball. He still has incredible power but he is not walking in the minors at near a high enough rate (10.9%) to be a three true outcomes player. He also does not have the defensive profile that some of the players noted above have to fall back on. If he is unable to correct these issues it is possible he may not even be protected in the rule five draft. But it is still possible the Mets find the issue and are able to address it with time for Clifford to end 2026 on a high note.

The post What Is The Development List? appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets won game two of a three game set with the Astros by a score of 6-2 on Saturday. Juan Soto made his return to the lineup, adding an RBI single. Jared Young had a huge day, going 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs. However both were outshined by the brilliance of Nolan McLean.

McLean went seven innings, allowing only an unearned run, two hits, three walks, and struck out four. This now makes 17 consecutive innings without an earned run. McLean, who improved to 10-8 with an ERA of 3.06, has used the last 11 starts to plant his flag firmly with Sal Stewart, JJ Wetherholt, and Carson Benge in the Rookie of the Year award voting.

Over his last 11 starts, McLean’s ERA is a dazzling 1.76. Compared to his NL counterparts, McLean ranks seventh in innings pitched, seventh in ERA, ninth in WHIP, third in BAA, and tied for fourth in quality starts. Those are ranks in the entire National League, not just rookies.

SNY broadcaster Gary Cohen called McLean an, “ace in the making,” and it certainly looks that way. As funny as this sounds, McLean is making a case to receive votes for the NL CY Young award, and he’s not even the favorite to win NL ROY.

Nolan McLean by Berto Carlo

In an era where effectively getting deep into games is so rare, it’s surprising when McLean doesn’t complete six innings. Over his last 13 starts, only one has ended prior to six complete innings. The consistency has been on another level this year. Especially when you factor in the issue he is facing with walking hitters, it makes the length even more impressive.

Saturday was a culmination of a really interesting trend for McLean this year. For those who may not have noticed, McLean has massively dropped his sweeper usage since the start of July. What was once an incredibly effective pitch is now the second-worst sweeper by run value in the entire major leagues. Ironically, he is only ahead of his teammate Sean Manaea.

Opposing hitters are hitting .375 with a .550 slugging percentage off of McLean’s sweeper this year. On Saturday, McLean leaned on his hard stuff to an extreme level. Of his 93 pitches, 76 of them (81.7%) were sinkers, cutters, or fastballs. He only threw two sweepers, and has opted to throw more traditional sliders in his more recent starts. A big part of this has been the fact that he hasn’t been able to spin the ball as effectively, meaning it moves less.

Whether this strategy remains effective long term still remains to be seen. However, it helps when you have one of the best sinkers in baseball to lean on. Despite having the second worst run value on sweepers this year, McLean has the best sinker in baseball, and it’s really not close. It’s his most frequent pitch, he can throw it to both lefties and righties, and he can throw it in any count. Opponents this year are hitting only .181 off the sinker and are slugging .253.

This has been a rough season for several aspects of this Mets team. Nolan McLean is not one of them. He has put himself in the mix for one of the best young pitchers in the league, something the Mets desperately need. He provides stability to the rotation, takes the ball every fifth day, and can get deep into games. Most impressively, I think there is still so much untapped potential.

The post Nolan McLean Continues To Push For Rookie Of The Year appeared first on Metsmerized.

Triple-A

Game 1: Syracuse Mets 6 (66-63), Lehigh Valley IronPigs 0 (62-66)

Box Score

• DH Mark Vientos: 3-4, HR, 1 RBI, 2 R (1.275 OPS)
• CF D’Andre Smith: 1-4, HR, 2 RBIs (1.000 OPS)
• SS Zack Short: 1-2, HR, RBI (.681 OPS)

The Mets hit four home runs en route to taking the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday. Vientos continued his rehab and hit another homer. He is hitting .385 with a 1.275 OPS across 13 at-bats since moving his rehab to Syracuse.

• RHP Jonah Tong: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO (4.54 ERA)

It was vintage Tong, as he pitched a “complete game” shutout. He allowed only one hit, walked just two, and struck out eight in the seven-inning doubleheader game. Tong has a 2.39 ERA across five August starts and has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his last eight starts.

Game 2: Syracuse Mets 8 (67-63), Lehigh Valley IronPigs 7 (62-67)

Box Score

• DH MJ Melendez: 2-3, 2B, R (.891 OPS)
• 1B Billy Amick: 1-4, HR, RBI (.722 OPS)
• CF Nick Morabito: 1-3, HR, 2 RBIs (.743 OPS)
• RF D’Andre Smith: 2-3, 2 RBIs, R, BB (1.036 OPS)

Amick hit his fourth home run since being promoted to the Triple-A level. It is his fourth over his last four games. Smith, who struggled before being moved to Syracuse, reached base three times and raised his Triple-A OPS to 1.036.

• RHP Dan Hammer: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 4 ER, 3 BB (3.25 ERA)
• RHP Brian Metoyer: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO (1.85 ERA)

Metoyer continues to string together terrific performances since his promotion. After posting 1 2/3 innings scoreless on Saturday, he has a 1.85 ERA across 9 2/3 innings. He has struck out a terrific 18 and the opposition is hitting a mere .121.

Jefferson Rojas.

Double-A

Game 1: Reading Fightin Phils 5 (62-61), Binghamton Rumble Ponies (55-69)

Box Score

• 3B Jacob Reimer: 2-3, 2B (.735 OPS)
• 1B Corey Collins: 1-2, HR, RBI, BB (.979 OPS)
• DH Jefferson Rojas: 1-4, HR, RBI (.897 OPS)

Collins slugged his 16th homer of the season and eighth since being promoted to Double-A. The 24-year-old sixth-round pick has been sensational for Binghamton with a .952 OPS. His on-base percentage is .417.

Meanwhile, Rojas hit his 21st overall homer of the season. He is two stolen bases away from a 20-20 season.

• RHP Luke Gabrysh: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO (9.35 ERA)

It was a tough start for Gabrysh. He allowed five earned runs over only 3 2/3 innings of work. In total, he has allowed nine earned runs over his first 8 2/3 innings of Double-A baseball.

Game 2: Reading Fightin Phils 3 (63-61), Binghamton Rumble Ponies 0 (55-70)

Box Score

• C Kevin Parada: 3-3 (.647 OPS)
• 2B Jamari Baylor: 2-3 (.594 OPS)

The top-five of the Rumble Ponies lineup went 2-for-16 in the second game of a doubleheader sweep on Saturday. Parada led the way going a perfect 3-for-3. He has a .412/.446/.706 slash line in August.

• RHP R.J. Gordon: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO (4.73 ERA)

It was a solid start for Gordon who three six innings of three-run ball. Gordon, 24, has had a tough season otherwise. Between the High-A and Double-A levels he has a 5.36 ERA across 87 1/3 innings.

Elian Peña by Ed Delany / MMO

High-A

Hudson Valley Renegades 7 (64-59), Brooklyn Cyclones 3 (55-68) 

Box Score

• SS Elian Peña: 0-4, R, BB, 2 SB (.481 OPS)
• CF Trey Snyder: 2-5, SB (.696 OPS)
• 3B Antonio Jimenez: 1-3, HR, RBI (.534 OPS)

Peña has struggled since being promoted to Brooklyn. Following an 0-for-4 performance on Saturday, he is now hitting .175 with a .481 OPS since being called up.

• LHP Daviel Hurtado: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R (6 ER), 0 BB, 7 SO (2.75 ERA)

It was a very rare poor performance for Hurtado. Despite allowing six earned runs his Double-A ERA still sits at 2.75. He managed to strikeout seven over 4 2/3 innings despite the nine hits allowed.

Single-A

Daytona Beach Tortugas 13 (57-67), St. Lucie Mets 4 (53-71)

Box Score

• 1B Julio Zayas: 3-4, HR, RBI, 2 R (.724 OPS)
• CF Branny De Oleo: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB (.703 OPS)

De Oleo, 21, has been within the Mets’ organization since 2023. He reached base three times and homered in St. Lucie’s blowout loss. Meanwhile, Zayas had the team’s other home run. It was his 10th of the season.

• RHP Ryan Lambert: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R (2 ER), BB (16.20 ERA)
• RHP Zack Mack: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO (3.07 ERA)

Lambert’s second rehab appearance went very poorly. After tossing a scoreless inning on August 25, he was lit up for three runs (two earned) in 2/3 of an inning on Saturday. Mack had a rare off day, as he was only able to get one out and was charged with two runs.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Tong Spins One-Hit Gem In Doubleheader appeared first on Metsmerized.

Juan Soto is back! The Mets on Saturday announced that they activated outfielder Juan Soto, reinstating him from the 10-day injured list. They also optioned infielder Eric Wagaman to Triple-A Syracuse.

Soto went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in his return to the field. He has a .941 OPS on the season. The Mets won 6-2 over the Astros behind a strong outing from Nolan McLean; read more here.

The Mets and Astros play the rubber game at 3:10 p.m. ET Sunday.

Juan Soto by Berto Carlo

Latest Mets News

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets have placed Luis Robert Jr. on outright waivers.

Per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online, Jonah Tong on Saturday with Triple-A Syracuse threw a scoreless seven innings of one-hit baseball. He walked two and struck out eight over the course of 88 pitches/55 strikes. Over his last four starts he has given up just two runs. Mark Vientos was also 3-for-4 with a home run.

Latest MLB News

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the Yankees signed Jarred Kelenic to a minor league contract. He will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees also announced that they reinstated left-handed pitcher Max Fried from the 15-day injured list and designated right-handed pitcher Justin Topa for assignment. The Yankees also noted that Clark Schmidt and Ryan McMahon started rehab assignments with Double-A Somerset.

Per Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani will not pitch Sunday or Tuesday. The Dodgers will start Tyler Glasnow on Sunday while trying to determine the next steps for Ohtani to return to a mound.

The San Diego Padres announced that Luis Regifo exited Saturday’s game with a right knee sprain and will be flying back to San Diego for further evaluation.

According to MLB insider Hector Gomez, the Escogido Baseball Club has released Wander Franco in the Dominican Winter League.

Latest on MMO

David Melendi recapped the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Friday that included Billy Amick surpassing 100 RBIs.

Mojo Hill discusses Christian Scott’s strong outing that was spoiled by Scott’s control lapse.

Chris Bello talks about Juan Soto being reinstated off the injured list.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki discusses the Mets placing Luis Robert Jr. on waivers.

Chris Bello recapped the Mets’ 6-2 over the Astros behind a dominant outing for Nolan McLean.

On This Date in Mets History

1965: Casey Stengel stepped down from his managerial position with the Mets.

1986: The Mets defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3.

1992: Bobby Bonilla hit a ninth-inning walk-off home run against the Cincinnati Reds.

1999: Edgardo Alonzo was 6-for-6 with three home runs, a double, two singles and five RBIs,

Born on This Date: Sean Reid-Foley (1995), Jon Adkins (1977), Marlon Byrd (1977), Tug McGraw (1944).

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To say McLean was stellar would be an understatement. The 25-year-old twirled seven innings against the AL Central-leading Astros, relying heavily on his fastball to record outs.

 John Jones-Imagn Images

He threw 93 pitches overall, 41 of which were sinkers, 20 cutters, and 15 four-seamers. 82 percent of his pitches were of the fastball variety, and yet, he mowed down an Astros team that is 10th in the majors in OPS.

It was an efficient pitching performance, and because so, McLean wound up with only four strikeouts on the day. An outing, however, that shouldn’t concern those who are glued to analytics.

During McLean’s bounce-back August, he’s now thrown three starts where he’s struck out three, three, and four. Both three-strikeout starts that came earlier in the month were six-inning, one-run performances. Gutsy outings like Saturday.

The win over the Astros lowered McLean’s ERA to 3.06 on the season. He now holds the 13th-lowest ERA in the majors and is more than back on track to battle with Sal Stewart for National League Rookie of the Year honors. McLean did allow one run, but it came unearned as Jeremy Peña advanced to third on a Brett Baty throwing error to lead off the game.

More importantly, McLean’s outing Saturday allowed for the Mets offense to pick the right time to strike. They were held to just one run through four innings, but erupted for three to go ahead in the fifth.

Francisco Lindor was the catalyst in the inning. He doubled to lead off the inning, which could have been an error as Taylor Trammell dropped the ball, and came into score on Juan Soto‘s first base knock since coming off the injured list.

Two more runs came into score after Carson Benge singled to put runners on the corners, and Jared Young flipped a ball down the right field line for a two-run triple.

It was Young’s second RBI base hit of the day, a Saturday that saw the lefty first baseman finish 3-for-4 with three runs batted in. The first RBI hit came in the first inning off lefty opener Bennett Sousa with two outs, which tied the game at the time.

Francisco Alvarez also broke out of his slump with a ringing two-run double in the eighth. Alvarez smoked a hanging slider off Kai-Wei Teng that exited his bat at 98.9 miles per hour, almost clearing the wall by the old M&M seats.

It was a badly needed knock for Alvarez, who was in the midst of a 2-for-27 slump. His last extra-base hit had come on August 15 against the Nationals.

The bullpen rebounded in Saturday’s affair with the Astros. Daniel Duarte struck out two in the eighth but did allow a solo homer to Yordan Alvarez. Then Kodai Senga entered the ninth with a four-run lead and worked around a lead off double via Jose Altuve.

Player of the Game

Nolan McLean was the player of the game for the Mets Saturday. He went seven innings and allowed an unearned run, lowering his ERA to 3.06.

On Deck 

The Mets and Astros will play a rubber game Sunday for the series at 3:10 PM. Zac Thornton takes the mound for New York, looking to build off his six-inning, one-run outing against the Brewers. He’ll be opposed by opener Ethan Pecko. The game will be televised on Peacock and broadcast on WHSQ 880 AM.

The post Nolan McLean Dominates Astros in 6-2 Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

Robert came over to the Mets in a trade with the White Sox in January, and it hasn’t been smooth sailing for him this year. He struggled in April, then went on the injured list with a lumbar spine disc herniation, which caused him to miss close to three months. Overall, he is batting .228/.308/.407 with 10 homers in 214 plate appearances. However, he has been much better in recent weeks, batting .282/.338/.549 with six homers in 80 plate appearances. Once considered an elite defender, Robert has merely been average this year, posting 1 OAA in center field and -1 OAA in his brief time in left field. He still boasts elite bat speed (77 mph) and foot speed (28.9 ft/s), though he has only swiped two bases in five attempts this season.

Robert has a $20 million club option for the 2027 season. Robert’s playing time has already diminished since his return from the injured list, and with the emergence of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, it’s unclear if Robert would have a role on the Mets going forward.

The post Mets Place Luis Robert Jr. On Waivers appeared first on Metsmerized.

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:

• Bo Bichette 0-0, BB
• Luis Robert Jr. 0-1
• Marcus Semien 0-1

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!

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Soto was placed on the IL on July 25 with a left calf strain. It was the second calf injury Soto sustained during the 2026 season, the first coming back in April when he strained his right calf.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Soto returning to the major league club without a rehab assignment shouldn’t come as a shock. He told the media during the Brewers series that he felt as if he didn’t need a rehab assignment, and was nearing a return.

The Mets’ superstar was in the midst of an MVP-caliber season when he hit the shelf in July. Soto was slashing .283/.408/.539 with 21 homers in 84 games.

In a corresponding move, the Mets optioned Eric Wagaman to Triple-A Syracuse. The 28-year-old was slashing .191/.269/.319 in with two homers in 52 plate appearances.

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