But to most, McLean was at best the No. 3 pitching prospect in the system at the time of his call-up. And the other two, righties Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, are now excelling at Triple-A just as the roster is about to expand.

Brandon Sproat was thought to be the next logical promotion from Triple-A to bolster the New York Mets’ rotation for their stretch run. But the 24-year-old right-hander’s wait for a big-league call will have to wait a little longer.

David Stearns admitted Tuesday that the Mets would be “fooling not to consider” the promotions of top pitching prospects Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat for the playoff push, even in bullpen roles. Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features,