NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Nolan McLean is struggling for the first time since making his major league debut for the New York Mets last August.
He’s pitched poorly in consecutive starts, with his ERA ballooning from 2.92 to 4.40 after he allowed a career-worst seven runs in a career-low 3 1/3 innings during a on Monday. New York lost its fourth straight game and outfielder Tyrone Taylor became the latest player to get hurt.
鈥淚 could sit here and say, well, we鈥檙e worried,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not putting ourselves in a good position, obviously. I鈥檝e been saying it: `It鈥檚 not early anymore.鈥欌��
New York has scored four runs and struck out 41 times during its latest skid, dropping to 22-32 at the one-third mark 鈥� one shy of its season low of 11 games under .500 at 10-21. A big league-best 45-24 at the start of play on June 13 last year, the Mets are 60-87 since.
McLean is 1-4 in his last nine starts.
鈥淛ust haven鈥檛 been pitching my best and I’ve got to be better,鈥� he said.
A 24-year-old right-hander, McLean went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA in eight starts for the Mets last year and earned a rotation spot for the U.S. in this year’s World Baseball Classic.
After allowing career worsts of nine runs and six earned runs in a , he struck out the side in the first inning against the Reds only to lose his command in the second.
He hit Sal Stewart with a pitch, loaded the bases with a single and a walk, got Spencer Steer to ground into an RBI forceout, then threw a run-scoring wild pitch.
JJ Bleday homered in the third and Tyler Stephenson hit a two-run drive in the fourth following Steer’s two-run single.
McLean thought he exerted too much energy between starts.
鈥淚鈥檓 a guy, I try to get after it. And for me, I like to touch the mound,鈥� McLean said. 鈥淚 think I was a little bit too much intent (on) touching the mound this past week and it translated a little bit into some fatigue.鈥�
Batters are hitting .166 against McLean with the bases empty but .296 with runners on.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to go back and look at film and whether it鈥檚 mechanics from the stretch, from the windup,” Mendoza said. 鈥淲hatever the case, we’ve got to dive deep here because obviously something鈥檚 off, for sure.鈥�
McLean threw just 47 of 78 pitches for strikes, including eight of 23 on sweepers.
鈥淗e鈥檚 having a hard time landing the secondary pitches for strikes. There鈥檚 a ton of movement, especially side to side,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 getting into bad counts.鈥�
Soto still out, Taylor latest to get hurt, Lindor feeling better
Mets star Juan Soto missed his second consecutive game because he was sick and had a fever.
Taylor left with right hip pain after grounding out in the sixth inning.
鈥淗e’s going to get an MRI tomorrow,” Mendoza said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably going to be an IL.鈥�
New York’s batting order already was without shortstop Francisco Lindor (strained left calf), catcher (surgery to repair a torn right meniscus in his right knee), designated hitter/first baseman (bruised right wrist) and outfielder (lumbar spine disk herniation).
鈥淭hings are going to change soon. We haven鈥檛 had the chance to see what David Stearns put together this year,” Lindor said, referring to the Mets’ president of baseball operations. “I think it鈥檚 been very few games that all of us are healthy at the same time. It鈥檚 unfortunate, but this is the journey that we鈥檙e in.”
, Lindor has started running and hitting indoors and will soon start fielding grounders.
鈥淐ontinue to get stronger and stronger. The difference has been time,鈥� he said.
Young and Minter likely back this week
Jared Young, who last played April 12 because of a torn left meniscus, could be activated Tuesday. He has hit .227 with one RBI over 22 at-bats in six minor league games since May 15.
Left-hander A.J. Minter, returning from surgery on May 12 last year to repair his left lat muscle, was to go through a throwing progression Monday and could be activated Tuesday or Wednesday. The 32-year-old reliever has a 1.59 ERA in 12 minor league outings since April 7, striking out seven and walking one in 11 1/3 innings.
鈥淓very time you miss that much time, mentally, it鈥檚 a grind,鈥� Mendoza said. 鈥淗e’s a big part of our bullpen.鈥�
Polanco, who last played April 14, was to work out Monday in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and could start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment this week.
Alvarez, hurt on May 12, could be back sooner than the original six-to-eight-week projection.
鈥淗e鈥檚 already hitting. He鈥檚 already doing catching,鈥� Mendoza said.
Senga to have another rehab outing
Right-hander Kodai Senga, who last pitched for the Mets on April 22 because of , was to throw a bullpen Monday and will make a second minor league rehab start Thursday. He allowed two runs, four hits and one walk with two strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings for Class A St. Lucie on Friday, throwing 37 of 64 pitches for strikes.
New York also is missing right-hander Clay Holmes, because of a broken right leg.
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