NEW YORK -- Mets first baseman Jared Young was carted off the field and hospitalized Thursday after being kneed in the head by pitcher Nolan McLean while both players were attempting to cover first base.
Young was playing first in the sixth inning at Citi Field when Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford hit a slow roller toward the bag, creating some confusion as to whether Young or McLean would field the ball. As McLean scrambled in pursuit of it, his right knee slammed into Young’s head, knocking his teammate to the dirt.
Young lay motionless for some time as Mets trainers rushed to assist him. Eventually, a group of paramedics carted him off the field. Young flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd as he departed, indicating he had regained consciousness.
“It was scary, man,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said after the Mets’ 3-0 loss to the Phillies. “It was scary to sit there and just know that he wasn’t with us in that moment. He was just somewhere else.”
“That was a terrifying moment on a baseball field,” added interim manager Andy Green.
Young was taken to a local hospital, where a CT scan came back negative. Though Young was exhibiting concussion symptoms in the hospital Thursday evening, he had full use of his extremities. Green said the team is optimistic Young has “avoided the scariest outcomes.”
“Thankful he is showing really good signs right now and doing well at the hospital,” Green said. “And thankful for the paramedics and everybody that came onto the field so quickly to take care of him.”
Following the collision, McLean returned to the mound, striking out Garrett Stubbs for the third out of the inning. Green removed McLean from the game after that, saying he regretted keeping him in even that long. In a quiet postgame clubhouse, McLean requested not to speak to the media due to his emotional state.
“He knew it was a really bad collision and still was willing to go back out the next inning,” Green said of McLean. “I didn’t feel that that was in his best interest at that point in time. Probably should have made a better decision not letting him get the next hitter, but he was still strong enough to do it and got back out there and did it. He’s a heck of a person, a great competitor. But the humanity hit him pretty hard there, too.”
Young, 31, has been a pleasant surprise for the Mets this season, batting .266 with a .759 OPS over 103 games while serving on the strong side of a first-base platoon. If healthy, he has a solid chance to reprise that role next season.
Young has played in three Major League organizations, as well as in Korea, in the Dominican Republic and for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
“He’s a guy that’s always happy,” Lindor said. “He’s the same person no matter what. He posts up whether he’s playing or not. He’s there. He’s consistent. He’s somebody that we all respect and appreciate. I have love for him.
"He’s been a big part of our team this whole year, probably one of the better hitters on our team. I can only imagine what he’s going through right now -- his family, as well.”
Mark Vientos replaced Young on defense following his departure, finishing 1-for-2. Since returning from a lengthy IL stint on Aug. 31, Vientos has hit .294 with two home runs in 19 plate appearances, providing value despite a severe reduction in playing time. Until Thursday, Vientos had been facing almost exclusively left-handed pitchers.
“I’ve seen a quality to his at-bats,” Green said before the game. “You see him approaching this the right way, and this is not an easy thing to have playing time kind of clipped from what you’ve been used to. I’m pleased with the way he’s walked through it. He’s had good energy. He’s been a good teammate.”
Young’s absence should afford Vientos more opportunities. The Mets are also likely to use Brett Baty, who started at second base on Thursday, frequently at first against right-handed pitchers.
Those details will be sorted out in time. Late Thursday, Mets players and officials were worried only about Young’s health.
“It is scary to see one of our brothers -- one of the most respected and loved teammates we have here -- like that,” Lindor said. “Life is bigger than this game, for sure, and seeing him like that -- not reacting, and then seeing the trainer holding his neck -- it’s scary. It was a scary moment. You can only think about how quick life can get out of your hands.”