The Mets are getting a boost at just the right time.
Juan Soto is back in the lineup Saturday after being activated from the injured list, giving New York a much-needed jolt as it tries to shake off a rough stretch against two tough arms in the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski and the Astros’ Hunter Brown. Soto had been sidelined since July 24 with a left calf strain, and he returns for the 4:10 p.m. game against Houston at Citi Field.
New York comes in having lost three straight and with only three runs total across its last two defeats. Friday’s 3-1 loss was another grind for the Mets, who fell to 60-75. Carson Benge accounted for the club’s lone run with a fourth-inning RBI double, but Christian Scott then issued three straight walks, opening the door for the Astros to pull away.
Houston got a lift of its own from the result. With Friday’s win and a Rangers loss, the Astros improved to 68-67 and stretched their AL West lead to two games.
On the mound, the Mets will hand the ball to Nolan McLean, who has quietly been piling up strong outings. The rookie right-hander has eight quality starts in his last nine trips, and his most recent start was especially sharp: six scoreless innings, one hit allowed, four walks and six strikeouts against the White Sox. Across his first full season, McLean is 9-8 with a 3.21 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 168 strikeouts in 148⅔ innings.
Houston is taking a different route, going with an opener in left-hander Bennett Sousa. He’s made 22 appearances and carries a 1-3 record with a 6.27 ERA and 1.82 WHIP. His last outing was rough, too, as he gave up four earned runs on five hits and a walk while recording only one out against the Yankees.
The Mets’ Saturday lineup is set with Soto immediately back in the mix:
Francisco Lindor SS
Juan Soto DH
Bo Bichette 3B
Carson Benge RF
Jared Young 1B
Marcus Semien 2B
A.J. Ewing CF
Bretr Baty LF
Francisco Alvarez C
In Other News...
Mets Need To Stop Delaying Three Roster Auditions
The Mets have reached the point in the season where the next wave of roster decisions is less about patience and more about information gathering. Jonah Tong, Nick Morabito and Zach Franklin have all done enough in the minors to make the conversation unavoidable, and the case for bringing them up is not just about reward, but about finding out what each player can actually handle before the calendar turns toward 2027.
Roster rules always complicate these choices, and the Rule 5 Draft adds another layer of urgency for a front office that can ill afford to wait too long. The Mets do not need to force every prospect into the big leagues at once, but delaying all three auditions only stretches the uncertainty further, especially when each player has already made a compelling enough case to deserve a real look. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Young Arms Face A Test Andy Green May Not Fully Allow
Andy Green spent part of this week thinking like a manager and part of it thinking like a pitcher trying to survive an impossible matchup. With the Mets bringing three young arms into a series against the Astros, the interim manager knows exactly what kind of stress comes with letting a developing pitcher work through a dangerous middle of a lineup, especially when Yordan Alvarez is lurking there and has already drawn a pile of intentional walks this season.
Greens answer has been shaped by his own past, including the rare experience of facing Barry Bonds, a reminder that some hitters force managers to choose between development and survival. Christian Scott got the first crack in the series and saw Alvarez several times, walking him once during his outing, but the larger question for the Mets is how far Green is willing to push his young pitchers in that same spot before the game plan gives way to pure strategy. [Read more 🡒]
Clay Holmes Is Already Setting Up A Big Cubs Decision
Clay Holmes has already given the Cubs something to think about well beyond the stretch run. After coming over from the Mets at the trade deadline, the right-hander has continued to work as a starting pitcher, a role he embraced after signing a three-year, $38 million deal before the 2025 season.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Holmes is expected to opt out after the 2026 season and try free agency rather than remain under contract with the Mets in 2027. For the Cubs, that turns a short-term addition into a longer conversation, with the next chapter for Holmes still pointing toward a market that could get very interesting. [Read more 🡒]