Remember that absolutely terrifying collision Mets first baseman Jared Young had with Nolan McLean back in September? The one where Young was left unconscious after they collided at first base? Man, that was rough. It ended his season for sure, but the good news is, the 31-year-old has been making some serious progress in the last few weeks.
Recapping That Scary Play and Young’s Road Back
That collision at first base was no joke, leaving Young out for the rest of the regular season. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo confirmed Young suffered a concussion on the play, and he’s still dealing with neck and ear issues from it. Just puts things in perspective, right? Young himself told DiComo, “How quick baseball can turn into life.” He was focused on getting a hit that morning, wanting to win the game, wanting a home run to celebrate with his teammates. But that changed real fast to, “I just wanted to get home.” You can feel that. Total gut punch.
What His Return Means After a Solid 2026
Here’s the kicker: Young told DiComo that he expects to be ready for the start of Spring Training in February. That’s huge! He had a pretty solid 2026 season too, playing a career-high 103 games. He smashed nine home runs with a .759 OPS over 342 plate appearances. He was a key guy filling in at first base after Pete Alonso, especially since Jorge Polanco, who was signed to take over first base duties, was limited to just 37 games and underwent season-ending ankle surgery. Mark Vientos also broke his hand near the All-Star break and didn’t return until the end of August. The Mets needed Young.
Knowing what he went through, seeing him battle back for February? You gotta respect that. Can’t wait to see him back on the field then.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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