The Mets placed Jared Young on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a torn meniscus in his left knee and recalled MJ Melendez from Triple-A Syracuse to fill the roster spot. The move was retroactive to April 13, and it also came with the release of right-handed pitcher Luis García.
Young had been one of the few bright spots in the Mets offense, going 7-for-20 with two doubles and two RBIs in 23 plate appearances while starting four games at first base and two in left field. He had been out of the lineup since Sunday’s series finale against the Athletics, when the injury removed him from a role he had been splitting between the infield and outfield.
Melendez arrives after a modest start in Syracuse, where he was batting.216/.286/.431 with two homers, three doubles and a triple in 56 plate appearances. He played exclusively in the corner outfield spots this season, but he also has experience at first base, appearing there in two games for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
The left-handed hitter was once viewed as a power bat on the rise. Melendez hit 41 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, then posted a.700 OPS with 51 home runs in 1,587 plate appearances for the Royals from 2022 to 2024. He mostly spent the 2025 season in Triple-A, leaving this latest recall as another chance to turn a brief opportunity into something larger.
