The New York Mets are bringing up some help for their rotation for the final stretch of the season.
The Mets called up right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean on Wednesday. He’ll make his MLB debut on Saturday, when the Mets host the Seattle Mariners.
McLean, who is the No. 3 prospect in the Mets’ farm system, according to ESPN, has spent time with the franchise’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates so far this season. He holds a 2.45 ERA in 21 games and 18 starts with an 8-5 record. He has struck out 127 batters in just shy of 114 innings, too. The Mets selected McLean in the third round of the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State.
“We feel good with him going out there and giving us a chance to win baseball games at the big-league level,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, via ESPN. “Credit to him that he put himself in this position.”
The Mets sent pitcher Justin Hagenman to their Triple-A affiliate on Wednesday and replaced him with Paul Blackburn after his rehab assignment.
McLean is joining the Mets during a rough stretch. They entered Wednesday’s matchup with the Atlanta Braves having lost 11 of their past 13 games, which included being swept by the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets snapped a seven-game skid with a 13-5 win over the Braves to kick off that three-game series on Tuesday.
The Mets’ rotation has a 3.71 ERA as a group, which is seventh in the league, though only one pitcher — David Peterson — has pitched at least six innings in an outing in the past month. McLean has hit that mark nine times this year in the minors.
The Mets have a 64-55 record entering Wednesday’s contest, which has them five games back from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. While they still have a ways to go, McLean’s presence in the rotation could provide a significant boost to their hopes of a postseason run.
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