Source — Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat to debut Sunday

• Jorge CastilloSep 4, 2025, 01:28 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

NEW YORK — The Mets are calling up right-hander Brandon Sproat to start Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday, marking the third time in less than a month that the club will promote one of its top pitching prospects to bolster a scuffling starting rotation.

Sproat, 24, was widely regarded as the Mets’ top pitching prospect entering the season but fell behind Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong on the organizational depth chart as his two peers made rapid ascensions from Double-A to the majors in recent weeks.

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McLean has won each of his first four starts, pitching to a 1.37 ERA. Tong gave up one earned over five innings in his debut last Friday and is scheduled to pitch again Saturday

Sproat’s 2025 season has been a tale of two chapters: The 2023 third-round pick posted a 6.69 ERA in nine starts for Triple-A Syracuse through May 20 before rebounding with a 3.19 ERA over his last 17 outings. Remove a seven-run relief appearance Aug. 24 and Sproat has a 2.78 ERA in 16 starts since May 25.

Sproat concluded the stretch Saturday with seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts to two walks. He’ll take the ball Sunday on a week’s rest to conclude a three-game series in Cincinnati against the team chasing the Mets for the third National League wild-card spot.

Kodai Senga was lined up to start Sunday, but the veteran’s recent struggles — he hasn’t completed six innings since June 6 and owns a 6.56 ERA over his past eight starts — prompted the Mets to give Sproat the opportunity.

MILB Central first reported news of Sproat’s promotion.