Overview

• On August 16 at Citi Field, McLean made his major league debut by tossing 5⅓ scoreless innings, striking out eight and allowing two hits in a 3-1 win over Seattle.
• Manager Carlos Mendoza removed McLean after 91 pitches to protect his workload, drawing boos from fans frustrated with pitch-count constraints.
• Since mid-June, the Mets have relied on minor-league depth due to injuries to Kodai Senga, Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill and underwhelming performances from key free-agent signings.
• New bullpen acquisitions have yielded mixed results: Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto have been reliable, but closer Ryan Helsley has allowed nine runs (five earned) in 5⅓ innings since the trade deadline.
• Clinging to a narrow wild-card lead, the Mets see McLean’s outing as a morale lift that still falls short of resolving the rotation’s lack of length against a daunting schedule.