Mets first baseman Young hospitalized after collision with pitcher McLean

New York Mets first baseman Jared Young was carted off the field and hospitalized Thursday following a collision with teammate pitcher Nolan McLean during the sixth inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. The collision occurred when Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford hit a slow roller toward first base, and both Young and McLean converged to field the ball. As McLean pursued the grounder, his right knee struck Young's head, sending the first baseman face-first to the ground where he lay motionless for several moments.

Young regained consciousness on the field and was immobilized on a stretcher before being transported to a local hospital. He gave a thumbs-up gesture to the crowd as he was carted away. According to Mets manager Andy Green, a CT scan at the hospital returned negative results, though Young exhibited concussion symptoms and was monitored for further evaluation. Green confirmed that Young had full use of his extremities. "It was a terrifying moment on a baseball field," Green told reporters. "Took him a while to come to. It was a really scary collision."

McLean remained in the game after the collision, striking out the next batter to end the inning, but was removed by Green at the start of the seventh inning. The manager acknowledged that keeping McLean in the game may not have been the right decision, noting the emotional impact on the pitcher. "The humanity hit him pretty hard there," Green said. McLean declined to speak to media following the game due to his emotional state.

Young, 31, was in his first full major league season with the Mets after joining the team in December 2024. He had compiled a .266 batting average with nine home runs and 39 RBIs over 103 games played before the collision. The Mets lost the game 3-0 to Philadelphia. Mark Vientos replaced Young at first base for the remainder of the game. The team indicated it would provide additional updates on Young's condition once hospital evaluations and concussion testing were completed.