Mets first baseman Jared Young "avoided the scariest outcomes" after a terrifying collision with pitcher Nolan McLean during the top of the sixth inning during the Phillies-Mets bout at Citi Field on Thursday night, manager Andy Green told reporters after the game.
A weak grounder to first base off the bat of Justin Crawford brought Young and McLean together and a bit of miscommunication caused an ugly and scary collision. While both fielders scrambled for the ball, McLean's knee appeared to strike Young's head, sending the first baseman to the ground.
Really scary scene right now at Citi Field. Jared Young is in the process of being carted off after accidentally being struck full force in the head by Nolan McLean on this play. He appeared to be out cold for a moment following the play. pic.twitter.com/UnjheoAzIG
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 18, 2026
Young was down on the field for an extended period of time afterward while being tended to by medical personnel, and he was eventually carted off the field on a stretcher with his head and neck stabilized.
Young was taken to the hospital for further examination, but had feeling in his extremities, the Mets announced. Green said that results on Young's CT scan came back negative and he has full use of his extremities, though he's experiencing "real concussion symptoms."
On Friday, Green provided an update on Young, saying the 31-year-old is doing "as good as expected or could be hoped for." Green also told reporters that Young is dealing with headaches and short-term memory loss, but he has "his sense of humor intact."
The injury will likely send Young to the seven-day injured list and end his season. The Mets' final game is set for Sunday, Sept. 27.
Update: Jared Young is doing "as good as expected or could be hoped for," per Andy Green. All the tests he underwent went well.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 18, 2026
Young has some short-term memory loss and bad headaches, but "he's got his sense of humor intact," Green said.
McLean was "shaken" after the collision, Green said, admitting that he "probably" shouldn't have left his pitcher in the game to finish the inning.
Young appeared in 22 games for the Cubs in 2022-23 before splitting time in 2024 between South Korea's KBO and Triple-A stateside. The Mets acquired him in time for the 2025 season and he had success in Triple-A and made a brief appearance in the majors. This season, he's been productive, hitting .266/.330/.429 with 17 doubles, nine home runs, 39 RBI and 46 runs in 342 plate appearances. Thanks to Pete Alonso leaving in free agency and free-agent signing Jorge Polanco spending most of the year on the IL, Young has found himself getting regular playing time.
Young has been one of the pleasant surprises for the Mets in an otherwise incredibly disappointing season. President of baseball operations David Stearns revamped the roster in the offseason after the team fell apart down the stretch and missed the 2025 playoffs, only to watch them suffer a 12-game losing streak in April en route to being 36-53 by the Fourth of July, a stretch that saw manager Carlos Mendoza fired. Interim manager Green is headed back to the front office next year and the Mets will once again try to fix their roster over the winter.
