Morning Briefing: Mets Regain Playoff Position With Five Games Left

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets are back in playoff position. They pulled off a come-from-behind 9-7 win over the Cubs on Tuesday — which proved to be the difference in getting them back into the third Wild Card spot. They trailed 6-1 early, but the bullpen and three home runs helped them outlast Chicago.

The Reds lost 4-2 to the Pirates. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, came back from down 4-0 to walk off the Dodgers 5-4. Had the Mets lost, they’d have the same record as the Reds and Diamondbacks at 80-77. Instead, they’re 81-76, a full game ahead of both teams. Each of the three clubs has five games left to play.

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Latest Mets News

The Mets are moving Nolan McLean up one day in the rotation to start Thursday in Chicago on regular rest, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. This will be McLean’s final regular-season start, but it positions him to potentially take the mound in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.

Right-hander Tylor Megill has officially undergone Tommy John surgery, as first reported by MLB.com‘s Anthony DiComo. He had previously sought second opinions, but it seems that ultimately, he found no better options.

Edwin Díaz supposedly didn’t like pitching when he was young. “As an outfielder, I was really good,” Díaz quipped. “As a hitter, not good.” He didn’t commit to pitching full-time until he was 14 or 15 years old. You can hear more about his journey in the latest episode of MLB’s No Easy Outs, available today on the official MLB YouTube channel.

Latest MLB News

The ABS challenge system has been approved for the 2025 season. Read more how the ABS system will be implemented here, via Metsmerized’s David Melendi.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, right-hander Rōki Sasaki has rejoined the Dodgers and will officially be active today. The rookie has a 4.72 ERA across 34 1/3 major-league innings and made his two most recent appearances out of the bullpen with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Zack Wheeler had a successful thoracic outlet decompression surgery in St. Louis on Tuesday, according to manager Rob Thomson (via Lochlan March of the Philly Inquirer).

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Tuesday that they have designated former Cy Young finalist Alek Manoah for assignment. The 27-year-old had just returned from Tommy John surgery and posted a 2.97 ERA in Triple-A this season. Slugger Anthony Santander has been activated from the injured list.