Morning Briefing: Mets Get Back to Winning Ways

Good morning, Mets fans!

Nolan McLean was untouchable on Saturday in his MLB debut with the Mets. He threw 5 1/3 shutout innings, giving up just two hits with four walks and eight strikeouts. He did exactly what the Mets needed him to do and with a 3-1 victory over Seattle, McLean also earns his first big league win.

The Mets will look to win back-to-back games on Sunday in the Little League Classic as they conclude their series with the Mariners. It will be right-handed pitcher George Kirby (8-5, 3.71 ERA, 90 SO) on the mound for Seattle against right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (9-6, 3.71 ERA, 101 SO) on the mound for the Mets.

National League Standings

The Phillies lost to the Nationals 2-0 on Saturday. With a Mets win and a Phillies loss, the Mets are now five games back of the Phillies for the first place spot and currently sit fourth in the National League wild card standings. If the regular season were to end today, the Mets would earn a spot in the Wild Card. They currently sit 1 1/2 games up on the Cincinnati Reds, who are just below the cut line.

Latest Mets News

Jonah Tong made his Triple-A debut on Saturday. He threw 5 2/3 shutout innings, giving up just three hits and two walks while striking out nine. He threw 90 pitches (59 strikes) and had 18 whiffs. Per Michael Mayer of Metsmerized Online, his fastball was up to 98 mph and he threw 31 changeups — with 13 swings, eight whiffs and nine called strikes.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets recalled Luisangel Acuña to be the 27th man for special event games. He will fill that role on Sunday in the Little League Classic.

Latest MLB News

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler was placed on the 15-day injured list with a blood clot near his right shoulder. No timetable has been set for when he will return.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Jon Gray went unclaimed after the Texas Rangers placed him on waivers.

As reported by Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Josh Hader spoke with the media on Saturday and said it is not likely that he will return in 2025. There is some hope he could maybe come for the postseason only in a one-inning limited role.

Passan also noted that after their win on Saturday, the Milwaukee Brewers have now won 14 straight games to tie the sixth-longest MLB winning streak this century.