Category: Baseball

The Mets' offense exploded for 12 runs as New York ended their two-game losing streak with a 12-7 win over the Braves in Atlanta on Friday night.

On a night where the Braves celebrated the 30th anniversary of their 1995 World Series team, having Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz throw out the first pitch, it was Nolan McLean who was the best pitcher in the building as he pitched seven strong innings to pick up his second career win.

Here are the takeaways...

-McLean's first road start began with a stumble on the mound on his first pitch that resulted in a hit-by-pitch. But the young right-hander bounced back, striking out Matt Olson, getting Ronald Acuña Jr. to ground into a forceout and striking out Michael Harris II on a check swing to end the frame.

McLean continued to stay poised even after allowing a leadoff double in the third inning. Jurickson Profar would drive in that run with a one-out single -- the first run allowed in McLean's big league career -- but a strike 'em-out-throw 'em-out double play ended the inning. 

After a lengthy three-run fourth, Acuña greeted McLean with a leadoff homer. After that, McLean retired nine straight Braves to get through the sixth inning, becoming the first Mets starter to go that far, other than David Peterson, since Clay Holmes on June 7 (62 games). That streak would reach 11 before a two-out single in the seventh. 

McLean tossed 94 pitches (58 strikes) across seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven batters. After he walked four batters in his first start, McLean did not give up a walk in this one. His 15 strikeouts in his first two starts are second in Mets history, behind Matt Harvey's 18 in 2012.

-With Jeff McNeil, Luis Torrens and Brandon Nimmoout of the lineup due to injuries, their replacements got the Mets on the board early. Back-to-back one-out singles from Brett Baty and Tyrone Taylor in the second got the Mets a scoring chance and catcher Hayden Senger came through with a two-out single to score Baty and give the Mets an early 1-0 lead. It's only Senger's second career RBI.

After Francisco Lindor walked to load the bases, Juan Soto worked a six-pitch walk to put the Mets up 2-0. Starling Marte followed by flying out to end the threat. 

The Mets' offense would capitalize on an RBI chance in the third inning, though, as Cedric Mullins lined a two-run triple to put the Mets up 4-0. In the fourth, back-to-back singles to lead off by Lindor and Soto resulted in a sac fly by Marte to put the Mets up 5-1, and knock starter Joey Wentz out of the game after just 3.1 innings. Mark Vientos continued to scorch the ball with a two-out double that drove in Soto from first base. An infield single from Baty and a double by Tyrone increased their lead to 7-1.

-Soto would pour it on in the seventh with a two-run shot that hit off the left field foul pole to give the Mets a 9-2 lead. Soto finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and two walks. He picked up his 100th walk of the season and is now just 25 behind John Olerud (1999) for most in a single season in Mets history.

Senger would hit a two-run single in the eighth to put a bow on his night. The third-string catcher had a career day at the plate, finishing 2-for-5 with three RBI.

-The Mets' offense had 21 hits and although every starter had at least one hit, most of the damage came from the bottom of the order. The 6-9 hitters went a combined 12-for-20 with six RBI. Baty had four hits while Taylor and Mullins had three hits each.

Reed Garrett was tasked with mop-up duty and struggled in his one inning of work. Garrett allowed two runs on three hits and struck out one batter. Ryan Helsley, in a move likely to give the reliever some confidence after some recent struggles, was given the ninth inning. The right-hander walked the leadoff batter and gave up a one-out double. Vidal Brujan, off the bench, hit a two-out single to drive in a run. That was followed by a two-run double from Profar. Helsley would get the final out, eventually, but allowed three runs in the final frame.

Game MVP: Nolan McLean

Yes, the offense went bananas but McLean's outing didn't allow this porous bullpen more innings to allow runs.

Highlights

Nolan McLean strikes out a pair in the first

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/LWeKbDD53w

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 22, 2025

Hayden Senger opens the scoring with an RBI single!

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/xoHAKaBxUL

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 22, 2025

Juan Soto draws a bases-loaded walk and it's 2-0 Mets!

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/C9rEagrrT9

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 22, 2025

A 2-run triple for Cedric Mullins!

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/PhOp7inUoV

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2025

Nolan McLean and Hayden Senger team up for the strike 'em out-throw 'em out double play!

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/JDnCyipwSn

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2025

Mark Vientos drives an RBI double to score Juan Soto to make it 6-1 Mets!

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/6I0SPgEe3i

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2025

Tyrone Taylor hits an RBI double while slipping!

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/Q2uTnGj8Bp

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2025

Nolan McLean strikes out Matt Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr. to finish off the 6th and he's fired up!

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/wABhokZrxC

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2025

Juan Soto drives his 32nd homer of the season off the left field foul pole!

(via @AppleTV) pic.twitter.com/3xqrixPun1

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 23, 2025

What's next

The Mets and Braves play the middle game of their three-game set when the first pitch is thrown at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday night. 

Clay Holmes (10-6, 3.64 ERA) takes the mound against recently-acquired Cal Quantirll (4-10, 5.50 ERA).

Max Fried returned to form, but the Yankees gave him no run support in Friday's 1-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Takeaways

1. Fried (13-5, 3.14 ERA) had his best start in almost a month and his best outing since June 25. After three straight games of eight hits in five innings, Fried fired six scoreless frames while scattering four knocks and striking out seven. He walked three and threw 63 strikes on 99 pitches but dug deep in a rebound no-decision that had the Yankees (69-59) primed for a bounce-back win over the Red Sox (70-59).
2. Unfortunately for Fried, Brayan Bello was just as good -- if not better. Boston's starter yielded three hits while striking out five and walking one in seven shutout innings before passing the ball to reliever Garrett Whitlock and closer Aroldis Chapman for the perfect final two frames.
3. With Fried on the verge of 100 pitches,Aaron Boone's Mark Leiter Jr. decision backfired. Promptly, after Ceddanne Rafaela's leadoff flyout, Leiter allowed consecutive doubles to Nathaniel Lowe and Connor Wong. Leiter (5-7, 4.14 ERA) subsequently retired Romy Gonzalez and Alex Bregman, but not before the one-run damage was done.
4. Ultimately, though, the Yankees did not hit in their third shutout loss of August. Singles by Ben Rice (first inning), Trent Grisham (third inning) and Austin Wells (sixth inning) were all that they got. Wells also ran the Yankees right out of the sixth inning when he jumped too far off the base and got doubled up on Grisham, who lined out to shortstop. This is who the Yankees are, and the Red Sox lapped them for the first wild card as a result.

Who's the MVP?

Bello, who went one inning more than Fried in this pitcher's duel.

What's next

Saturday's 1:05 p.m. game at Yankee Stadium. New York RHP Will Warren (7-5, 4.25 ERA) and Boston LHP Garrett Crochet (13-5, 2.43 ERA) are set to start as the Yankees look to salvage the four-game series with at least a split.

Mets starter Tylor Megill made his latest rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday night and was dominant.

After walking the first batter he faced, the big right-hander mowed down Indianapolis batters for three no-hit innings. Nick Yorke broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the fourth inning, but that would be the last baserunner against Megill, who kept Indianapolis batters off balance. 

Megill tossed 65 pitches (39 strikes) across five shutout innings, allowing the one hit, one walk and striking out four batters.

Friday was Megill's third rehab start as he tries to make his way back from an elbow sprain. It's also his third shutout appearance after he tossed 1.2 innings in his first start and 3.1 shutout innings in his second start. While Megill didn't have the strikeout stuff like he did in his second start, where he struck out nine batters, he went longer in the game, which is something the Mets are certainly happy to see.

Also of note from Friday's game was first base prospect Ryan Clifford. The young slugger clubbed his first Triple-A homer (373 feet), taking right-hander Wilkin Ramos deep over the left field wall.

Clifford would single in a run in his second at-bat but he wasn't done with the longball. In the eighth, Clifford took RHP Cam Sanders deep for a 397-foot blast. He went 3-for-4 with three RBI.

 

Tylor Megill struck out four across five scoreless innings in a rehab start for Syracuse tonight

Final line: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (65 pitches) pic.twitter.com/8pPuk4e6fp

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 23, 2025

Duran's first blown save with Phillies leads to series-opening loss to Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Phillies manager Rob Thomson talked earlier this season about seeing things he’d never seen before in his many years in MLB. He can add a couple more things to the list as the Phillies fell to the Washington Nationals, 5-4, in the series-opener at Citizens Bank Park.

In a game that saw three Taijuan Walker pickoff attempts overturned – two to outs, one to safe – and closer Jhoan Duran blow his first save opportunity for the Phillies in seven tries, the Phillies got excellent pitching.

That is if you take away the first and last innings.

Early on, it didn’t appear to be the Phillies’ night and certainly not Walker’s, as the Nationals tagged him for three runs in a first inning that included two walks, a pickoff at first, a three-run home run and an astounding 38 pitches. In Duran’s ninth inning, he gave up a double to Dylan Crews and a game-tying single to Dayle Lile, who went to second on the throw home by Brandon Marsh, which hit Crews, not enabling catcher J.T. Realmuto to secure the ball. Lile then stole third and scored easily when Realmuto’s throw sailed into left.

The Phillies have been playing so well lately that it seems like it had to take some crazy events for them to lose for the first time in five games.

After a rough first inning, Walker pitched four more and faced the minimum 12 batters. It was an adjustment he made that allowed him to overcome the lengthy first, but the three-run damage had already been done.

“Just the two walks,” Walker said of his first inning troubles. “I feel like when I get in trouble a lot is when I start walking guys. It seemed like they were a little more patient in that first inning. The splitters that they were taking and just out of the zone a little too much. After the first inning I started getting in the zone more and it seemed like they were being more aggressive and putting the ball in play more.”

Walker says his cutter just wasn’t there to begin the night but it came back to him with a little work.

“It was a little off in the bullpen,” he said. “I thought the first inning it would be better but it was just off a little bit, made a little adjustment after the first and it started picking up. Just a wrist adjustment, a stiffer wrist.

“It was really just not commanding the zone in that first inning and just not throwing enough strikes. I really didn’t know how many I threw. I didn’t know that. It didn’t feel like 38. I know it was a longer inning but I didn’t feel like 38. But I felt good, the whole game after that started to get quicker outs and got into a good little groove.”

The whole team did. While Tanner Banks, Jose Alvarado and Matt Strahm contributed to keeping the Nationals off the board after the first, the torrid offense came to life for the Phillies.

Nick Castellanos began the second with a single, hustled to third on a Bryson Stott single and scored on a groundout by Trea Turner to cut the lead 3-1. In the sixth, Castellanos doubled for his third hit of the night and scored two batters later when Stott homered to tie the game 3-3.

In the seventh, after Nationals lefty reliever Shinnosuke Ogasawara struck out Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Realmuto launched a low, 3-2 changeup, into the left field seats for a 4-3 lead. And when Strahm put down the Nats in the eighth, the general feeling was game over as Duran warmed in the bullpen.

But not on this night as Duran gave up a couple hits and Realmuto aired one into left to help Washington get the winning run.

“That’s the game,” Duran said. “Sometimes that happens. We need to prepare for everything.” Asked if he can easily shake off his first blemish as a Phillie, Duran said, “Right now. I’m good. Sometimes we do good, sometimes we do bad. So, that’s the game. Tomorrow I’ll be ready for tomorrow, so it’s ok.”

Realmuto, after becoming the offensive hero with a late-inning home run, reflected more on the play at the third than his offense after the game.

“I probably shouldn’t have thrown the ball, in hindsight,” he said. “It was a curve ball away and I really didn’t get to set my feet and get around the (batter) so I did have to throw it over his head. In that situation, it’s tough to do, but I probably should have just eaten it, let him have third base and give Duran a chance to strike the next two guys out, which he ended up doing. It’s tough to do in the moment but I probably should have just eaten that one.”

Still, there were positives to the game that manager Rob Thomson was quick to point out afterwards.

“(Casty) swung the bat well, Stott’s hot,” he said. “J.T. with a big home run in the seventh to get us where we wanted to be. We fought back and I’m happy with that. Castellanos also going first to third created a run for us, our first run and Trea busting it down the line to avoid the double play and get us on the board.”

As for his thoughts on his new closer?

“Super confident. Mariano (Rivera) had 80 (blown saves), so it’s going happen every once in a while. He struck out the side. There’s going to be hits in there sometimes.”

As for seeing three overturned pickoffs, add that to the list of an inside-the-park three-run homer that beat the Phillies earlier this year in San Francisco and a walk off win on a catcher’s interference against Boston.

“I don’t think so,” said Thomson of seeing the pickoff situation. “I’m not sure but I don’t think so.”

Willy Adames' emphatic two-homer homecoming spoiled as Brewers walk off Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Before his first at-bat back in Milwaukee since departing last offseason in MLB free agency, Willy Adames received nearly a minute-long standing ovation from the Brewers’ home crowd.

The fan-favorite shortstop clearly still is beloved at American Family Field after spending three and a half seasons with the Brewers, even after signing with the Giants this past December.

Well, perhaps not for long, as Adames crushed the first pitch he saw 419 feet into the second deck in left field and promptly was met with boos. He then went deep a second time in the eighth inning, this one to the opposite field, helping fuel a late Giants resurgence.

Brewers fans give Willy Adames a standing ovation before his first at-bat…

And then he goes deep 🤯 pic.twitter.com/YfCLOtgP2g

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 23, 2025

Another Willy Adames homecoming homer 😱 pic.twitter.com/AqFByFMbaN

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 23, 2025

“It was very emotional, I would say. They changed their mind really quick, though,” Adames told reporters with a laugh, referring to the crowd’s quick switch from celebration to antagonism. “Obviously, I know that they didn’t mean those boos.

“It felt really good to see that they have that much love for me. They know that I have the same love back. It was really special to see it and feel it, and kind of embrace everything and soak it all in.”

But the Milwaukeeans got the last laugh in the end, as the Giants’ late comeback proved fruitless after William Contreras’ walk-off homer in the ninth inning gave the red-hot Brewers a 5-4 win on Friday night.

So, in the end, it was another thrilling win for MLB’s hottest team since the All-Star break, and another heart-wrenching loss for the league’s coldest team in that same span.

“It’s just another day. It feels the same way that it’s been going on for us,” Adames explained postgame. “It felt like we played better baseball — obviously, we had some difficulties … Contreras had a really good pitch there, and he took advantage of it.

Regardless of the result, the night clearly was all about Adames’ emphatic homecoming.

“It was great … to get the reception he did and then hits first-pitch homer,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I mean, that’s pretty cool stuff. And then he hit another homer to get us a little bit closer, and then we tie the game. Willy came in here, obviously looking to put together a good game, and he did.”

After signing a franchise-record contract worth $182 million over seven years, this hasn’t quite been the season that Adames or the Giants desired. His .224 batting average and .722 OPS both are the second-lowest marks of his eight-year career.

But the 29-year-old shortstop quietly is up to 22 home runs on the season, and his effusive personality shone in the spotlight during Friday’s two-homer game — both primary reasons why the Giants signed him.

“Even my second at-bat, when they started booing me, I was just laughing, because that’s how it is,” Adames admitted. “I enjoyed it like the standing ovation. For me, it was the same. It felt good. I know it was all love.”

"I didn't try to hit a homer. It kind of felt like a movie."

Willy Adames reflects on his first-pitch homer in his Milwaukee homecoming pic.twitter.com/qYNhcQ32NL

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 23, 2025

So while all hope feels all but lost for the Giants’ playoff hopes in 2025, San Francisco will hope that Friday’s big night could spur on their star shortstop for more production through the rest of this season and beyond

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Prior to Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave some updates on the team...

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Jeff McNeil undergoes MRI

McNeil is not in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game as he deals with shoulder soreness. The Mets skipper gave an update on McNeil's condition and revealed that they got some imaging done on McNeil's shoulder since yesterday.

"We took some MRI this morning just precautionary and it didn’t show anything," Mendoza said. "He’s just got to play through it. It’s in a real spot. Giving him some extra time for the medicine to start working, but this is something that will be day-to-day... He’s available like last night, but limit his exposure on the field for now."

As Mendoza said, McNeil did pinch-hit in the eighth inning of Thursday's loss to the Nationals. While he did strike out, McNeil played the field in the bottom half of the inning, which is an encouraging sign.

For Friday's series opener against the Braves, the outfield alignment consists of Juan Soto in right, Cedric Mullins in center and Tyrone Taylor making his second consecutive start in left in place of Brandon Nimmo. Brett Baty is starting at second base. If McNeil were to get a pinch-hit opportunity, it would likely be for Taylor just as it was on Thursday.

Brandon Nimmo, Luis Torrens updates

Speaking of Nimmo, the veteran outfielder is out of the lineup again after his recurring neck issue popped up during Wednesday's game. 

Mendoza had a promising update on Nimmo, saying that he's "better today" and received treatment and is moving around. He pointed out that when he came to the ballpark on Thursday, he did not do any activities, but since he is, it's a good sign.

While Nimmo is out of the starting lineup, Mendoza didn't rule out an appearance from his outfielder in Friday's game. But he is going to wait and see how he feels after doing some pregame baseball activities before he decides.

Brandon Nimmo does some work on the field pregame in Atlanta pic.twitter.com/OAJW50qiBE

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 22, 2025

As for Torrens, the backstop is riding the bench for the second consecutive game after his glove hand took a swing in Wednesday's game against the Nationals. While Torrens finished the game, his hand was sore and Mendoza said that is still the case on Friday. The Mets skipper did say Torrens is available off the bench, but wanted to give him another day and that there is still no plans to get imaging done on Torrens' hand.

This will be the first time Senger has started back-to-back games since early July.

Mets remain confident in Ryne Stanek

Stanek's performance of late has been as inconsistent as the team's bullpen as a whole. After back-to-back scoreless outings earlier this week, the right-hander allowed four runs on three hits and two walks in Thursday's 9-3 loss to the Nationals. 

Mendoza was asked how the team plans to get Stanek right for the stretch run.

"Continue to be supportive," he said. "The stuff is there. You look at 100 mph, the split and it’s kinda crazy. We continue to believe in him."

The Mets skipper was asked if Stanek's issues are a product of his lack of execution or the sequence of pitches and Mendoza said it's a combination of both.

"When he’s ahead in counts, not being able to finish hitters," Mendoza said. "A little too much in the strike zone and they put the ball in play, and he’s been a little unlucky as well. Executing when he’s ahead in counts is the biggest thing. Making guys chase as opposed to leaving hittable pitches."

In 50 appearances this season, Stanek has pitched to a 5.65 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP.

Willy Adames homers on first pitch after standing ovation in Giants-Brewers game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Willy Adames made a grand entrance in his first return to Milwaukee on Friday night.

The Giants shortstop, who spent the previous four season with the Brewers before joining San Francisco last offseason, received a rousing standing ovation from the home crowd at American Family Field.

Adames then jumped on the very first pitch of his first at-bat, crushing a solo home run to left field mere moments after being greeted by a warm reception.

Brewers fans give Willy Adames a standing ovation before his first at-bat…

And then he goes deep 🤯 pic.twitter.com/YfCLOtgP2g

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 23, 2025

Those cheers quickly turned to boos as the Brewers fans watched their longtime shortstop put Milwaukee into an early 1-0 hole with his towering blast.

The home run was Adames’ 21st of the 2025 MLB season, but it didn’t take long for the slugging shortstop to add another.

Adames teed off on Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby in the eighth inning for his second home run of the night, pulling the Giants within one run.

Another Willy Adames homecoming homer 😱 pic.twitter.com/AqFByFMbaN

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 23, 2025

It likely will be a night Adames never forgets.

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Thomson, Phillies hopeful red-hot offense carries into Nationals series originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

To say the Phillies offense has been as hot as an August summer day in Philadelphia might be an understatement right now. Consider in their three game series just completed against the visiting Seattle Mariners, they scored 29 runs and collected 49 hits, 17 for extra bases.

It all starts at the beginning and Trea Turner has been absolutely spectacular of late as the shortstop has had two or more hits in six of his last seven games, and scored 11 runs and drove in seven during that time.

Kyle Schwarber leads the National League with 45 home runs, 109 RBI and has a home run in 15 straight series. Bryce Harper is hitting .288 over his last 35 games with 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 26 RBI. Throw in J.T. Realmuto posting a .333 average with 23 multi-hit games, 18 extra base hits and 21 RBI over his last 51 games and you see why the Phillies have been so good offensively.

Before Friday’s game with the Washington Nationals, manager Rob Thomson pointed to something else that has been working quite well for his team.

“The back end of the lineup,” Thomson said. “We’re producing which turns it over to those guys and that’s where you can really do some damage as far as scoring runs. The bottom of the lineup is doing a great job right now.”

Leading the way has been outfielder Brandon Marsh and second baseman Bryson Stott. Because of his continued hot hitting, Marsh has moved up a bit in Thomson’s lineup and understandably so. Since snapping an 0-for-31 slump on May 3, Marsh has hit .296 over an 87-game span and is hitting .338 over his last 24 games.

Stott, along with his always-present excellent glove work, has hit .381 with nine runs scored, four stolen bases, seven extra base hits and eight RBI over his last 14 games.

Outfield carousel continues …

Nick Castellanos heads back to right field Friday while Harrison Bader takes the night off, sliding Brandon Marsh to center and Max Kepler to left against Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli, whom the Phillies just saw Sunday. Castellanos was held out of the series finale on Wednesday against the Mariners.

“Casty didn’t face him the last time and I don’t want him sitting too many days,” said Thomson. “This would be his third day in a row and I don’t want to do that. He’s in there tonight and then we’ll figure it out moving forward.”

Which means Thomson will probably continue to shuffle his outfield, pending numerous things but he said, “A lot of it has to do with the pitcher.” So it will probably continue that Kepler will face the majority of right-handers and Bader lefties and some right-handers, too.

“I try to get ahead of it if I can and communicate that with the players, if I can,” said Thomson of his platooning. “Sometimes it changes. You schedule a guy for a day off tomorrow, but he hits two homers and a double, you really got to change gears at that point. With a lefty going tomorrow I’ve got a pretty good idea of what I’m doing.”

Wheeler update

Nothing official from the team Friday as far as the condition of pitcher Zack Wheeler, who was diagnosed with a blood clot near his right shoulder last week. Asked what he’s heard, Thomson said there wasn’t much.

“I think we’ll know something in the next couple of days,” Thomson said. “We’ll see him in the next couple of days. Just getting some opinions, that’s all. Just texting (Wheeler). I don’t want to really bother him. He’s resting but he feels good.”

What Alex Cora expects from Red Sox prospect making debut vs. Yankees originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jhostynxon Garcia, also known as “The Password,” is the latest Red Sox prospect to be called up in hopes he’ll provide a spark.

Garcia, who was called up from Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, will bat fifth and start in centerfield as the Red Sox face the rival Yankees on Friday night. A late-August night at Yankee Stadium with the Red Sox playing arguably their most important series in years? No, not a bad night for a Major League debut.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora offered a scouting report of Garcia, a 22-year-old slugger who arrives after recording a .932 OPS in 66 games in Triple-A Worcester. MLB Pipeline views Garcia as Boston’s third-best prospect behind Franklin Arias and left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle.

“He swings a lot,” Cora said of Garcia, who has struck out 110 times in 99 games this season. “That’s the first thing, he swings a lot. But HE drives the ball to right-center, can do that with two strikes. He’s a great defender, good base-runner. So, we’ll see.”

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Garcia’s elevation fills a need for the Red Sox with outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Rob Refsnyder on the injured list. Their respective injuries aren’t expected to cause long-term absences, which could result in Garcia returning to Worcester in the not-too-distant future. Unless, of course, he receives one of Boston’s added roster spots when rosters expand in 10 days.

For now, Cora indicated Garcia will start every game against a left-handed pitcher. He’s hit .283 with a .964 OPS against lefties this season.

Yankees left-hander Max Fried might present a different challenge for Garcia. But having watched rookie Roman Anthony blast one into the second deck against the Yankees on Thursday night, and having Anthony next to him in right field, could go a long way in setting the tone.

Throughout the entirety of the 2024-25 season, there was a lot of noise surrounding Igor Shesterkin, but he remained quiet. 

He entered the season without a contract extension, as speculation about his future with the New York Rangers and contract status began to dominate headlines.

Shesterkin refused to talk about it though, making it hard to truly read his emotions. 

“I don’t read and I try to not hear about that,” Shesterkin said about all of the outside noise during the season. “I just focus on my game, on my practice and on my family. That’s it.”

In December, Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension with the Rangers, which should have simmered down all of the outside noise. 

However, the Rangers began to struggle, and the team faced intense scrutiny for their play, including Shesterkin who signed the richest contract for a goaltender in NHL history.

It was a long and grueling year for both the Rangers and Shesterkin. 

During his exit interview, Shesterkin was as honest and candid as we’ve ever seen him. He divulged that the Rangers were a broken team.

“In my mind, something broke during the season and (went) the other way,” Shesterkin said. “We couldn't handle it.

“Probably not too much confidence. If we can look on the last season before when we won (the) President’s Trophy, if we’re down 3-0 we still know we get back but during the season I didn’t feel that sometimes.”

Dylan Garand's Confidence In Himself Runs DeepNew York Rangers prospect Dylan Garand possesses the ideal trait for a goaltender: confidence. 

This kind of honesty and openness from the 29-year-old goalie is a good thing for the Rangers. Shesterkin is the face of the franchise, so his comments carry a significant amount of weight. 

He’s one of the best players in the NHL, but the next step for Shesterkin is to blossom into a leader, and his exit interview was a positive first step. 

There’s a lot of pressure on Shesterkin going into the 2025-26 campaign. 

In order for the Rangers to succeed and bounce back into Stanley Cup contention, it’s all on Shesterkin’s shoulders to propel them to those levels and prove he’s the best goalie in the world.

The Mets are signing catcher Ali Sanchez to a minor league deal, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.

The move will bolster New York's minor league catching ranks with Francisco Alvarez on the shelf with a thumb injury that he hopes to play through before eventually needing surgery.

Sanchez, 28, began his career with the Mets organization as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2013. He worked his way up the ranks and eventually made his MLB debut during the 2020 season, when he appeared in five games -- notching one hit in nine at-bats.

After being DFA'd by New York in February 2021, he bounced around several big league organizations' minor league outfits and played a handful of big league games while making stops with St. Louis, Detroit, Arizona, the Chicago Cubs, and Miami. Sanchez appeared in nine big league games this season with Toronto (eight) and Boston (one), and tallied five hits in 22 at-bats (.227), including two doubles. 

In 54 games with the Blue Jays' Triple-A outfit this season, he slashed .279/.347/.419 for a .766 OPS with 13 extra-base hits and 28 RBI. He was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox earlier this month before he was again designated for assignment 10 days later.

Sanchez has appeared in 47 big league games and has 22 hits in 119 at-bats (.185) with six extra-base hits, for a .458 OPS.

Last week, the Mets called up No. 4 prospect Nolan McLean for his big league debut, and he impressed with 5.1 scoreless innings against Seattle. This has led to the question of "who’s next?"

There is likely just one more prospect who should be expected to debut during the 2025 season: No. 5 prospect, right-hander Brandon Sproat. 

It’s been somewhat of a roller coaster ride for Sproat, who -- less than a year ago -- was the consensus Mets No. 1 prospect and was ranked among the top 50-60 prospects in all of baseball. It now appears as if that ride is soon going to arrive at the station, Willets Point that is.

Sproat burst onto the scene last year in his first professional season after the Mets took him in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

In 17 starts split between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton, he was basically untouchable, posting a 2.05 ERA in 87.2 innings with 110 strikeouts. Batters only hit .170 with a .523 OPS against him. He was blowing hitters away with his upper 90s fastball and leaning on a changeup and sweeper as his primary secondary offerings.

Then came his first real adversity as a professional at the Triple-A level. He made his first start with Syracuse on Aug. 8 against Worcester and allowed six runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. Sproat ended up making seven Triple-A starts to close out 2024 and posted an unsightly 7.53 ERA. Triple-A opponents hit .313 with a .957 OPS against him.

Adversity is not a bad thing. In fact, it is something the Mets organization embraces, as senior vice president of player development Andy Green told us on The Mets Pod back in spring training. 

"[Adversity] is going to come in a big league uniform at some point in time, and you can always go back to that experience in the minor leagues," Green said. "We would love for everyone to have to fight through something."

Some of that adversity was due to challenges at the Triple-A level that affect some more than others. They use the major league ball there, and it is a different ball than Double-A and below. That generally has a negative impact on pitch metrics. 

There is also the ABS challenge system, so pitchers must be more precise. On top of those changes, pitchers are facing veteran players, sometimes as much as 10 years older than them, who have much more of a plan at the plate.

The Mets were excited about Sproat’s spring training and his approach heading into this season, but it did not go according to plan for his first 15 outings. In 62 innings, Sproat posted a 5.95 ERA and struggled to miss bats, striking out only 43, which is a well below average 15.4 percent strikeout rate.

From a pitch usage standpoint, Sproat appeared to be focusing on trying to be a ground ball pitcher, with a higher use of his sinker. He was throwing it 21 percent of the time during that stretch after throwing it just one percent of the time in 2024. Overall, his power stuff wasn’t quite as powerful as it was in 2024.

His four-seam fastball’s average velocity was down nearly a full mile per hour, from 96.7 mph in 2024 to 95.9 mph in early 2025. It wasn’t just his fastball; his velocities were down across the board. 

There was some thought that Sproat was not throwing with conviction and trusting his stuff like he should. He was pitching much more defensively, just trying to outsmart hitters instead of attacking them.

In late June, there was a mental shift from Sproat. He decided, after conferring with his mental strength coach as well as the Mets organization, that he was going to just let everything loose and throw the ball nearly as hard as he could. In his eyes, there was no downside.

In nine starts since, Sproat has pitched to a 2.05 ERA in 48.1 innings with 57 strikeouts. In this span, his 30.3 percent strikeout rate was essentially double what it was earlier in the year. Opponents have hit only .144 with a .461 OPS against Sproat over the last nine starts.

For Sproat, everything has taken a step forward in the last nine starts. 

He is throwing more strikes, getting more swings and misses, his ground ball rate is up and, importantly, his line drive rate has gone down significantly. His average velocities and/or whiff percentages are up across the board for all six of his offerings from just earlier this season:

- Four-seam fastball velocity is up from 95.9 mph to 97.1, and whiff percentage is up from 18.1 percent to 32.1

- Changeup whiff rate is up from 27.8 percent to 40.6

- Sinker velocity is up from 95.3 mph to 96.1

- Slider velocity is up from 86.9 mph to 90 mph, and whiff rate is up from 20.7 percent to 24.4

- Sweeper whiff percentage is up from 31 percent to 38.6

- Curve ball velocity is up from 78.9 mph to 81.1 mph, and whiff percentage is up from 27.8 percent to 34.3

Sproat is pitching with confidence and conviction, and his stuff has ticked up across the board. He is back to routinely touching 99-100 mph, which he was not doing at all earlier in the season.

The Mets' rotation has been struggling for much of the second half, and Sproat has made the necessary adjustments that warrant a call-up. 

Having both McLean and Sproat in the rotation could provide a jolt that the Mets seem like they need as they head into the final month of the season -- as they try to make the playoffs for the second year in a row for just the third time in franchise history.