The Mets got the kind of injury news they were hoping for on Carson Benge. After he smashed his wrist into the wall while making an incredible catch in Friday night’s game, tests showed a bone bruise and nothing more. Andy Green said Benge is not going on the injured list right now and is considered day-to-day.
That was the bright spot in an otherwise rough night for the Mets, who were beaten 9-0 by the Pirates as Robert Stock’s second start with the club went nowhere near as smoothly as his first. The loss snapped their short-lived winning streak.
The roster also shifted before the game, with the Mets adding Gabriel Arias to the active roster after claiming him off waivers from the Guardians. Eric Wagaman was optioned to Triple-A to make room.
There was also some off-field intrigue around the club’s newest crop of prospects. Laura Albanese of Newsday wrote about the web of connections among the deadline additions, tracing ties that go back to before they were even in pro ball. The piece suggested that those links could help the Mets chase a little of that Nova Knicks magic.
Around the National League East, the Phillies dropped a wild one to the Blue Jays, 7-5 in eleven innings. Nathan Lukes delivered the decisive blow with a go-ahead homer in the 11th, but the night also featured milestone moments from both starting pitchers.
Aaron Nola struck out Brandon Valenzuela in the second inning to become just the seventh active player to reach 2,000 career strikeouts. He later left in the sixth after a 104.8 mph comebacker hit him on the knee, though X-rays came back negative.
On the other side, Max Scherzer moved past Walter Johnson for sole possession of 10th place on Major League Baseball’s all-time strikeout list when he fanned Kyle Schwarber in the sixth for the 3,516th strikeout of his career.
The Marlins blanked the Angels 7-0 behind seven scoreless innings from Sandy Alcantara. Gerrit Cole struck out nine as the Yankees edged the Braves 5-4 on Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium. The Nationals rolled past the Reds 8-2 at Nats Park.
Elsewhere around Major League Baseball, Tommy John shared an emotional message for fans on Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium, though health issues kept him from attending the event. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com detailed the full celebration, including several father-son duos in the mix.
Edwin Díaz blew another save, but the Dodgers still came away with the win. Boston’s nine-game winning streak ended with a 7-3 loss to the A’s.
And after retiring Ozzie Guillen’s No. 13, the White Sox picked up win No. 60 with a 6-3 victory over the Guardians, matching their total from all of 2025.
In Other News...
Mets Prospect Depth Is Suddenly Giving Fans Plenty To Watch
A busy stretch around the Mets farm system has given the organization a deeper look at the names that could matter down the line, with Syracuse, Binghamton and Wilmington all turning in recent action worth tracking. The reports from those clubs included game results, individual stat lines and pitching performances, a reminder that the pipeline is not just about one headline prospect but a wave of players trying to force their way into the conversation.
The movement has not been limited to the box scores, either, as the roster shuffle continues to keep things interesting across the affiliates. Eric Wagamans assignment to Syracuse adds another layer to the upper-level picture, while Binghamtons pitching staff has also been adjusted with Bryce Conley coming aboard and Felipe De La Cruz heading to the injured list, leaving the Mets with a few more reasons to keep an eye on the systems next turn. [Read more 🡒]
Francisco Alvarez Headlines Mets Audition For A Future Role
The final seven weeks of the season have become less about the Mets present and more about their next meaningful roster decisions, with several players getting a chance to show whether they belong in the picture beyond this year. Brett Baty, Kodai Senga, Zac Thornton and a handful of bullpen arms are all part of that evaluation, but Francisco Alvarez stands out as one of the clearest names with real stakes attached to every game he plays.
For the Mets, the larger question is not just who can help now, but who can still matter when the club is mapping out its 2027 roster. Alvarez remains central to that conversation, even as trade talk continues to swirl around him and Francisco Lindor, adding another layer to what is already a crucial stretch for a team trying to sort out its future while the season still has some time left. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Just Got A Quick Reminder About Letting Jihwan Bae Go
Jihwan Baes path has already circled back into view for the Mets, just not in the way they might have hoped. After New York released him, the Brewers moved quickly to bring him aboard, a reminder that even players who spend most of a season in the minors can still draw real interest when another club sees a fit. Bae also brings a complicated background, including a domestic violence suspension from 2019, which only adds to the scrutiny surrounding any decision to give him another chance.
For the Mets, the jolt is less about one transaction than the larger question of whether there was more to keep there when they let him go. Milwaukees willingness to add Bae says something about the leagues appetite for depth and upside, especially with roster needs shifting from week to week. His season has been largely spent in the minors, but his quick reappearance in a big-league conversation is the kind of detail that can make a release look a little different in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]