PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets play the Marlins on Tuesday in Jupiter, but all eyes will be on Miami later in the evening — and slightly further south.
Nolan McLean will take the mound for Team USA in the final of the WBC as the 24-year-old looks to build on what’s been an encouraging spring.
And even as McLean has opened eyes with the Mets both in the spring — as well as down the stretch last season after being called up to the majors — Carlos Mendoza said this will be a type of environment the rookie has never seen before.
Most importantly, the manager hopes McLean finishes the game unscathed.
“I have mixed feelings,” Mendoza said Monday at Clover Park before the Mets faced the Nationals. “I’m not gonna lie.”
The biggest fear among organizations is that an important player will be lost to injury in the tournament, as the Mets know well after Edwin Díaz was knocked out for the 2023 season when he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee while celebrating a win for Team Puerto Rico in that year’s WBC.
But Mendoza also knows how much McLean can gain from pitching in that type of game.
“You’re representing your country and you’ve got the whole world watching you,” Mendoza said. “In this case, he’s got ‘USA’ on his chest, playing with and against the best players. It’s going to be intense. That doesn’t mean the intensity is not the same at the big league level. The big leagues are the big leagues, but this is something different. It’ll be definitely different than what he experienced last year.”
With that comes the concern that he tries to do too much at this point of the spring.
“That’s on the back of the mind of people and organizations,” Mendoza said. “I’m pretty sure the Pirates felt the same way with [Paul] Skenes pitching. … You hold your breath.”
In the end, though, Mendoza is confident McLean is up for the challenge.
“As far as him pitching in that environment, he’s wired, he’s built for moments like that based on what we saw last year,” he said. “I’ve been around him and said the moment is never too big for him. It’ll be fun and I’ll be watching.”
Watching, and one other thing: “We’ll be praying.”
Francisco Lindor felt good Monday, according to Carlos Mendoza, after playing Sunday in his first Grapefruit League game since he underwent left hamate bone surgery last month.
The shortstop was a full participant in Monday’s drills. If he doesn’t report any setbacks, Mendoza said Lindor would play Tuesday in Jupiter and then begin playing back-to-back days following Wednesday’s team off-day.
Carson Benge is still trying to land a spot on the Opening Day roster and started Monday’s game in right field.
Mendoza and the front office have declined to tip their hand about the top prospect’s chances of making the team out of spring training.
“He needs to continue to play his game,’’ Mendoza said. “There’s a lot that can happen by Opening Day. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He doesn’t have to do anything extra. Just let us make the decision.”
