Jared Young was forced from Thursday’s game against the Phillies after Nolan McLean’s knee hit his head at first base in the top of the sixth inning, turning a routine chopper into a frightening stop in play at Citi Field. Young went down immediately, stayed on the ground for several minutes and was eventually removed on a cart.
The play started when Justin Crawford sent a slow chopper down the first base line. Young initially looked ready to handle it, then retreated toward the bag as McLean came in on the ball, and the collision sent McLean’s knee into Young’s head. Trainers rushed out, and Young gave a thumbs up as the cart left the field to a crowd ovation.
That kind of exit is why the moment mattered beyond one out. Young had to be taken out of the game right away, and Mark Vientos took over at first base while the Mets tried to keep the inning from getting away from them. It was the sort of in-game injury that forces a team to change plans on the spot, not after a timeout or between innings.
There was also a sharp contrast in how the two sides of the collision unfolded. McLean stayed in the game after talking with interim manager Andy Green, even though Young had already been carted off with what appeared to be a head injury. The Mets were trailing 1-0 with runners on first and third after the two-out infield single, and McLean then finished the inning by striking out Garrett Stubbs.
What remains unanswered is the most important part for Young and the Mets: his diagnosis. The apparent head injury was serious enough to send him off the field on a cart, but no medical confirmation followed in the moment, leaving the team to wait for a clearer picture after a night that ended with concern, not certainty.
