Brandon Sproat is joining the party. The Mets’ No. 5 prospect will join Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong in the Major Leagues and will make his MLB debut on Sunday in Cincinnati, a source told MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra. The team has not confirmed the news.
Kodai Senga was previously lined up to pitch on Sunday, but the Mets had not committed to the right-hander making the start and were reportedly considering asking him to accept being optioned to the Minor Leagues amid his struggles since returning from the injured list on July 11 (5.90 ERA in nine starts).
Sproat, 24, was the Mets’ top prospect entering the season, though his ranking dropped with early struggles in Triple-A (6.02 ERA through May 31). He has a 3.13 ERA and .189 batting average against in 15 games since, including pitching seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in his last start on Saturday.
Sproat’s arrival to the Majors furthers the youth movement in the Mets’ rotation that began with McLean’s debut on Aug. 16, followed by Tong’s first start last Friday, which has invigorated New York as it competes for a postseason spot. Tong will start for the Mets on Saturday in his first road start.
