New York Mets first baseman Jared Young was carted off the field and hospitalized following a violent sixth-inning collision with pitcher Nolan McLean during a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday at Citi Field. Young sustained a concussion but emerged with negative CT scan results.
A routine play turned into a frightening scene during the sixth inning at Citi Field when Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford hit a slow roller toward the right side of the infield. The ensuing race to cover first base resulted in a severe collision between Mets first baseman Jared Young and pitcher Nolan McLean, leaving Young motionless on the dirt and halting play as medical personnel rushed to his aid.
The Collision and Immediate Response at Citi Field
With the Phillies leading 1-0, McLean broke off the mound to field Crawford’s slow grounder. Young initially moved back toward the bag, but a brief pause by the pitcher created confusion over who would field the ball. As Young reached for it with his right hand while attempting to keep a foot on the base, McLean resumed running and slammed his right knee directly into Young’s head.
Across the diamond, Phillies players reacted visibly to the severity of the impact. Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm took a knee near third base, while Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez appeared to be praying as teammates gathered around the fallen infielder.
Hospitalization, Medical Status, and Team Reactions
Emergency medical personnel immobilized Young on a cart. As he was driven behind the left-center field fence, Young flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd, signaling that he had regained consciousness.
Transported to a local hospital, Young was evaluated by medical staff. Green provided an update to reporters following the game, confirming that the initial CT scan results came back negative, offering a measure of relief despite ongoing concussion symptoms.
“So in that sense it’s very positive. Still experiencing real concussion symptoms right now but has full use of his extremities and feels at this point in time like we’ve avoided the scariest outcomes.”
When Young first regained consciousness on the field, Green noted that his initial question to the training staff was simply, What happened?
In the clubhouse, teammates expressed deep concern for the 31-year-old infielder, who has established himself as a reliable contributor this season by batting .266 with a .759 OPS over 103 games while serving as the primary right-handed option in a first-base platoon.
“It was scary to sit there and just know that he wasn’t with us in that moment. He was just somewhere else.”
Francisco Lindor, Mets shortstop
McLean’s Return to the Mound and Roster Outlook
Following the lengthy delay, McLean elected to stay in the game rather than immediately heading to the dugout. Visibly shaken by the collision, the pitcher retired Garrett Stubbs on a called third strike to end the sixth inning before Green removed him in favor of reliever Tobias Myers.
Mets' Jared Young exits game on stretcher after taking knee to the head from pitcher Nolan McLean
Green shouldered some responsibility for keeping McLean on the mound under heavy emotional duress. Probably should have made a better decision not even letting him get the next hitter, but he was still strong enough to do it and got back out there and did it, Green said, adding, I think the humanity hit him pretty hard right there. In the postgame clubhouse, McLean declined to speak with media members due to his emotional state.
With Young sidelined by concussion protocol, the Mets face immediate adjustments on the infield. Mark Vientos, who returned from a long injured list stint on August 31, replaced Young on defense and finished the game 1-for-2. The club also plans to utilize Brett Baty at first base against right-handed pitchers as the team awaits further updates on Young’s recovery timeline.
