Mets' Jared Young Carted Off After 6th-Inning Collision With Nolan McLean

Q: Who will guard first base now that the Mets must rely on an already-injured backup to replace their fallen star?

Mark Vientos is the immediate in-game replacement at first base, but the Mets’ broader answer is much shakier because Vientos is himself coming back from a fractured right hand and was never guaranteed a full-time role. Thursday night, after Jared Young was stretchered off following the collision with Nolan McLean, Vientos took over at first when play resumed. That makes him the short-term on-field fill-in if Young misses time. The complication is that Vientos has been dealing with his own injury and an uneven season. Surrounding coverage shows he had been on the injured list with a fractured right hand, was only recently working back through a rehab assignment, and the Mets had already indicated his playing time would depend on performance. He has also struggled both offensively and defensively at times. Beyond Vientos, the Mets’ internal first-base options are limited. Jorge Polanco has been mentioned as a possible option at first, but his lower-body issues have often restricted him to designated hitter duty. Eric Wagaman has also received starts there, and the club has previously mixed in other stopgap solutions, but none offers the stability Young had provided. So, if Young is sidelined, Vientos is the most immediate answer at first base, with the Mets likely forced into a patchwork rotation rather than a clean replacement. Much will depend on Young’s medical evaluation and whether Vientos is physically ready to handle regular work.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 18

Jared Young was taken off the Citi Field turf on a stretcher Thursday after lying motionless following a collision with teammate Nolan McLean in the sixth inning against the Phillies.
The injury happened when Justin Crawford hit a slow roller up the first-base line and both Mets players converged; McLean's knee appeared to strike the 31-year-old first baseman in the head.
Mets medical staff stabilized Young's neck, treated him on the field and then drove him off as he gave fans a thumbs-up; Mark Vientos replaced him at first base.
New York had not issued an official medical update after the game, saying more details were expected after hospital evaluation and concussion testing.