A one-time top Mets pitching prospect is finally back on the mound, as Matt Allan made his first appearance in an actual game on Sunday since 2019.
The right-hander tossed 2 ²/₃ innings and struck out five for Low-A St. Lucie after missing time due to multiple elbow procedures — including Tommy John surgery in 2021 and a follow-up in 2023.
The 2019 third-round pick, who was a sought-after prospect coming out of Sanford High School in Florida in 2019, turns 24 this month, but has yet to pitch in more than six games or toss more than 10 ¹/₃ innings in the pros.
“So he threw [Sunday] night,” Stearns said. “Let’s get to the next one. And after that, let’s get to the next one. What I will say is what he is doing right now is really impressive and he’s demonstrating why he was so sought after at the draft and why he has kept pushing so hard for the last five years to get back to this point.”
For an organization that has had a hard time developing good major league starters lately, they could use Allan fulfilling expectations, as they wait for Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, who could both be factors this season.
Given Allan’s injury history, his future is even more difficult to predict.
“I don’t think we’re going to put too many ceilings on him,” Stearns said. “I think as he performs, we’ll move him [up], but we also need to ensure that he stays healthy and he’s able to take the ball. … I think given everything Matt’s gone through, every time he takes the ball right now, we’re just happy. And he deserves to be happy and he deserves to enjoy it.”
Stearns said Mark Vientos is “off to a rough start. He’s probably chasing a little bit more than he’d like to.”
Vientos entered Monday 4-for-34 with no homers after his breakout season a year ago, although he’s swinging at fewer pitches outside the strike zone than in 2024.
He walked a career-high three times in Monday’s 2-0 win over Miami. He also lined out to left in the third.
“He will snap out of this, but clearly he’s not performing at the level we saw last year right now,” Stearns said. “He’s not performing at the level he wants, but the talent is still in there. He’s still a really good hitter. He’s got a ton of power.”
Dedniel Núñez has made three minor league rehab appearances in his comeback from the forearm tightness that ended his 2024 season.
Stearns said the right-hander has looked good, but the Mets will continue to take it slow with him and they haven’t decided when they’ll call him up.
“We’re going through a pretty structured progression here, so when we call him up he has the ability to really function as a full-go major league reliever,” Stearns said. “He’s thrown well. That’s been encouraging.”
Luis Torrens was held out of the starting lineup for a third straight game due to a forearm contusion.
With Hayden Senger behind the plate, Mendoza said Tyrone Taylor was the team’s emergency backup.
Paul Blackburn (right knee inflammation) is scheduled to throw a bullpen Tuesday and still needs to face hitters before he can begin a rehab assignment.
Poor weather in New York may force the Mets to send Jeff McNeil (oblique) and Francisco Alvarez (hamate bone) to Port St. Lucie to continue their rehabs, since they haven’t been able to hit outside.
The Mets will honor the St. John’s men’s basketball team Wednesday. Rick Pitino, named Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year after leading the program to its first Big East title since 2000 before losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, will be on hand and junior forward Zuby Ejiofor is scheduled to throw out the first pitch.