Brandon Sproat will debut for the Mets at Great American Ball Park, joining Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong in a rookies-in-rotation moment as New York fronts a promising, youth-heavy push. The trio faces a Reds squad fighting in a playoff race, while the Mets lean into a future built around Mauricio, Vientos, Baty and Alvarez.

The front office has stressed series-by-series development, but the velocity and evolving secondaries of Sproat, plus the immediate contributions from McLean and Tong, signal a high-ceiling axis for a team hoping to turn prospect hype into sustained momentum.

Braves lineup shifts drive immediate fantasy implications. Marcell Ozuna’s benching and Ha-Seong Kim’s potential takeover at shortstop create a volatile DH/UTIL dynamic in Atlanta, while Vidal Bruján’s spot at short offers multi-position appeal and potential runway for increased run production. Mets see Ronny Mauricio lose playing time as Baty and Vientos heat up, with Alvarez looming back from rehab; Philadelphia leans on Realmuto’s steady bat amid Castellanos’ benching.

Key fantasy signals also surface from Cubs and Reds: Ian Happ’s clean-up run steadies his value, while Miguel Andújar’s role remains situational. Xander Bogaerts’ expected IL absence for Padres shifts Jose Iglesias and lineup patterns; Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker provide rookie upside for STL, while Francisco Alvarez and Francisco Mejía could impact Mets catching/lineup depth.

Mark Vientos returned to the Mets lineup with regularity, delivering a hot bat as he went 3-for-7 with two homers across the last two games. Mendoza stressed that the club needs him, citing his power from last season and his role as a core contributor, even as the Mets juggle three other young infielders in and out for defense and matchup reasons.

Milwaukee roars back from a 5-0 hole to walk it off in New York, extending their streak to nine as Isaac Collins crushed a 2-2 Diaz fastball 363 feet to right for his eighth homer. The Brewers ripped off a late surge powered by Will Contreras, who went deep twice (his 12th and 13th on the season) to spark the rally, and Joey Ortiz capped the eighth with a two-out RBI single off Pete Alonso’s glove to tie the game. New York jumped ahead early, sending six across in the first five frames behind Soto, McNeil, Baty, and Mauricio, but Diaz coughed up the lead in the ninth as Collins delivered the walk-off with Zimmerman-like poise. The Mets’ slide stretched to seven, widening their gap in the NL East, while Milwaukee kept rolling on their magic run and climbed within striking distance of the division lead.