Young and McLean collide; first base goes thin with 11 games left

Jared Young was carted off after a collision with Nolan McLean, and with 11 games left in a 68-83 season, the Mets are once again shuffling the depth chart. Young had been a quiet contributor at first — .287 with 14 RBI across 36 games — and losing him, even in a lost season, matters because the alternatives are thin. Mark Vientos and Eric Wagaman are next in line at first base, neither of whom has logged significant time there this year.

McLean came out of it, which is the more important news for the organization. He's 11-10 with a 3.18 ERA and has been the one starter this rotation could count on all year. Whatever happens in the final stretch, he's the arm they want healthy going into next spring.

Brett Baty can slide around the infield, and he's been doing that all season — he shows up at first, second, and third in the depth chart, which is useful when the roster keeps breaking. But this team has been running seven players through the IL for weeks now, and adding a head injury to that list is a reminder that the final 11 games are less about winning than about getting everyone out intact.