With vertigo-like symptoms behind him, Nolan McLean is ready to report to the World Baseball Classic.
The Mets right-hander is set to join Team USA in Houston on Friday, two days after making it through a minor-league scrimmage without issue.
“He came in feeling well, normal,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters in Port St. Lucie on Thursday.
McLean allowed one run over four innings during Wednesday’s outing on a backfield at Mets camp.
That marked McLean’s first game action since dealing with dizziness last week — an ailment that prevented him from joining Team USA over the weekend as originally planned.
“I felt a little erratic,” McLean, 24, said of Wednesday’s performance. “I think I was just fired up to get out there.”
McLean said after Wednesday’s scrimmage that he felt symptom-free but still needed to meet with the Mets’ medical staff before leaving for the WBC.
“I’m feeling good,” said McLean, who earlier in the week attributed the issue to a viral ear infection that caused him to lose five pounds.
“Body weight’s in a good spot. My strength numbers on all the tests have been right where they are normally, so I’m not too worried about that.”
McLean was a revelation for the Mets last season, going 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 48 innings over eight starts as a rookie.
Team USA hopes he can replicate that dominance as part of a decorated rotation that also includes Logan Webb, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. Mets right-hander Clay Holmes is a member of the Team USA pitching staff, too.
“I’m super excited to pick their brains,” McLean said. “We’ve got a bunch of Cy Youngs in that building, so it will be really cool to kind of learn from them, see how they handle everything and also watch from afar at the same time.”
Team USA is set to play its first official game on Friday night against Brazil, while McLean is on track to make his WBC debut on Tuesday against Team Italy.
GETTING STARTED
Sean Manaea is scheduled to make his spring debut Friday, while Kodai Senga will do the same Saturday, according to Mendoza.
Both games will be in Jupiter, but the left-handed Manaea is set to face the Miami Marlins, while the right-handed Senga is lined up to pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals.
This is a pivotal season for both pitchers, who struggled with injury and inconsistency last year.
Manaea, 34, went 2-4 with a 5.64 ERA in 15 games, including 12 starts, after dealing with an oblique strain and a loose body in his throwing elbow.
Senga, 33, went 7-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 22 starts, but he wasn’t the same after a midseason hamstring strain and was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse down the stretch.
“You’ve got to give him credit: This is probably the best I’ve seen him — since I’ve been here — around this time,” Mendoza said of Senga, who is set to begin his fourth season with the Mets.
“With the way he’s throwing the baseball, [velocity] is mid-90s right now, and he continues to feel well. So, he’s in a good spot.”
