There was a scary moment involving Mets prospect Jett Williams in Friday night’s game with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

In the first inning of the Binghamton-Somerset game, Patriots right-hander Carlos Lagrange threw a 1-2 fastball up and in to Williams. However, the pitch, which SNY prospects writer Joe DeMayo clocked at 98 mph, ran in and hit Williams near the ear flap of his batting helmet. Williams collapsed to the ground before he sat up as the trainer checked him out. After a minute or two, Williams got back up and walked off under his own power and was taken out of the game.

There was no immediate update on Williams’ condition and his status moving forward is undetermined.

Williams, DeMayo’s No. 2 Mets prospect, was having a solid first full season in Double-A. In 47 games, Williams is slashing .277/.381/.446 with four home runs, 12 doubles, 17 stolen bases and an OPS of .827.

Entering Friday’s game, Williams had a two-game hitting streak going and reached base at least once in the last 10 games.

A scary moment in Binghamton as Jett Williams was hit in the helmet by a 98 mph fastball.

He was tended to by the training staff and walked off the field under his own power pic.twitter.com/kSgGtMgLEU

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 7, 2025

Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson are going to have a new home next season when “Inside the NBA” makes the transition to ESPN. So far, it’s looking like the show will be very similar to the one beloved by fans.

During an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Friday, O’Neal insisted that neither he nor Barkley will ever change, while praising the professionalism of Johnson and Smith. He also hinted at having a situation similar to “The Pat McAfee Show” which is also syndicated by ESPN from a different company.

O’Neal’s response:

“I don’t have any concerns because I know one guy that you’re never going to change, and I know another guy that’s really close to him. The other two guys — listen, Ernie is a consummate professional and he can adapt to any situation. Ernie is the guy that really keeps us out of trouble and Kenny is professional, but Chuck is right there on the line and I’m right below Chuck. Chuck’s not changing, I’m not changing.

“I actually saw something yesterday where it said ESPN is going to give us the same no-look that they give Pat McAfee. So, listen, we’re just going to go have fun, do what we do and talk about the game that we love and just try to make people laugh.”

Eisen noted that his own show is in a similar situation, with a return to ESPN coming this fall.

The “Inside the NBA” crew recently wrapped its lengthy run on TNT, where it had become an iconic part of the NBA media ecosystem. When TNT’s parent company of Warner Bros. Discovery lost its NBA rights, the future of the show was in question until the network cut a deal with ESPN.

TNT will continue to independently produce the show while airing it on ESPN, which reportedly plans to give the show its usual timeframe. Barkley has made perfectly clear he has no plans to change to fit in better at ESPN given how much he has blasted some of hisfuture co-workers in recent months.

Barkley has also said he plans to retire after two more seasons, though he’s walked back retirement plans before.

Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson are going to have a new home next season when “Inside the NBA” makes the transition to ESPN. So far, it’s looking like the show will be very similar to the one beloved by fans.

During an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Friday, O’Neal insisted that neither he nor Barkley will ever change, while praising the professionalism of Johnson and Smith. He also hinted at having a situation similar to “The Pat McAfee Show” which is also syndicated by ESPN from a different company.

O’Neal’s response:

“I don’t have any concerns because I know one guy that you’re never going to change, and I know another guy that’s really close to him. The other two guys — listen, Ernie is a consummate professional and he can adapt to any situation. Ernie is the guy that really keeps us out of trouble and Kenny is professional, but Chuck is right there on the line and I’m right below Chuck. Chuck’s not changing, I’m not changing.

“I actually saw something yesterday where it said ESPN is going to give us the same no-look that they give Pat McAfee. So, listen, we’re just going to go have fun, do what we do and talk about the game that we love and just try to make people laugh.”

Eisen noted that his own show is in a similar situation, with a return to ESPN coming this fall.

The “Inside the NBA” crew recently wrapped its lengthy run on TNT, where it had become an iconic part of the NBA media ecosystem. When TNT’s parent company of Warner Bros. Discovery lost its NBA rights, the future of the show was in question until the network cut a deal with ESPN.

TNT will continue to independently produce the show while airing it on ESPN, which reportedly plans to give the show its usual timeframe. Barkley has made perfectly clear he has no plans to change to fit in better at ESPN given how much he has blasted some of hisfuture co-workers in recent months.

Barkley has also said he plans to retire after two more seasons, though he’s walked back retirement plans before.

Mets left-hander Sean Manaea pitched in his first rehab start on Friday, and it was tough sledding for the southpaw.

Pitching in game action for the first time since March, Manaea got off to an inauspicious start with High-A Brooklyn. After striking out the leadoff hitter on four pitches, Manaea allowed back-to-back singles. After hitting the next batter to load the bases, he got a fly out to secure the second out. T.J. White, the sixth batter in the inning, grounded to shortstop Marco Vargas, but the Brooklyn infielder threw the ball away. They ruled the play a hit, and had the runners advancing on the throwing error.

The next batter singled to score the fourth run of the inning before Manaea got his second strikeout of the game to put an end to the first inning. It took 26 pitches to get through the opening frame, but the defense behind him did him no favors.

Manaea’s second inning was much better. He got the leadoff man to fly out before another fielding error allowed a runner to reach first. Manaea got the next batter to ground out, and his night was done with two outs in the inning.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that they expected Manaea to get two “ups” and throw around 35 pitches, and that’s exactly how far they went with the left-hander.

Manaea threw 36 pitches (26 strikes) in his 1.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, no walks and striking out two.

Sean Manaea strikes out the first batter he faces in his rehab assignment! pic.twitter.com/20b7R8Pjbi

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 6, 2025

Sean Manaea’s rehab outing for Brooklyn is complete.

Final line: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 36 pitches (26 strikes)

He also hit a batter and 2 fielding errors were made behind him pic.twitter.com/mkpYKavdFp

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 6, 2025

Let’s get this out of the way: Ben Rice is staying with the Yankees once Giancarlo Stanton returns from the injured list. Obviously.

Only four MLB players are hitting the ball harder than Rice this season, as measured by average exit velocity: Oneil Cruz, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso. Rice is closer to gracing the cover of “MLB: The Show” than he is to earning a trip to Scranton.

But the team will have a redundancy at designated hitter once it activates Stanton, which could come as soon as late next week. Stanton, out since spring training with tendinitis in both elbows, is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment early in the week. Barring physical setbacks, he shouldn’t need many games before he is ready for the big leagues.

Once that happens, Yankees brass will face two challenges. The front office will have to figure out how to get Stanton back on the roster without optioning Rice, and Aaron Boone and his staff will have to find playing time for both.

The first problem is the easier of the two: assuming that everyone currently healthy remains so when Stanton returns, the Yankees can simply designate either Pablo Reyes or Oswald Peraza for assignment.

Peraza could have an edge to stay because he has more experience at shortstop, and every team needs a backup at that position (Jazz Chisholm Jr. has played 47 MLB games at shortstop and could slide over in an emergency).

It does not seem that the Yankees are seriously considering splashier roster moves, like designating DJ LeMahieu for assignment or optioning J.C. Escarra to make Rice one of the team’s two catchers. Jasson Dominguez has options, but his spot is not at risk, either.

Once Stanton arrives, Boone will have to find a way to play Stanton, Rice and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt regularly — say, at least two out of every three games.

He can begin by easing Stanton in and using Rice against right-handed pitching. Beyond that, he can move Rice between first base and DH. Rice, a catcher by trade, had continued to work at that position before games with catching coordinator Tanner Swanson. He could start at catcher occasionally, but Escarra is Austin Wells‘ backup and shouldn’t see his playing time significantly reduced.

Rice recently took ground balls at third base, but he is not a candidate to play there. The Yankees do not plan to use Rice at any defensive position other than first base and catcher.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was left out of Friday’s lineup against the Rockies as he continues to nurse a fractured pinky toe.

It’s the second consecutive game Lindor will not start, and manager Carlos Mendoza provided an update on his superstar’s condition prior to the series opener in Colorado.

“A little bit better,” he said of Lindor’s condition. “Did some running, feeling his fracture. He’s going to continue to feel it. Was doing some cage drills and all that. Maybe we have some type of availability today.”

Lindor was seen on the field doing some running and speaking with Mendoza and the Mets’ training staff in warmups. While the shortstop wasn’t penciled in on Friday, the talk left Mendoza encouraged about his player’s availability this weekend. 

“I feel a little bit better today than how I felt yesterday,” he said. “Watching him today, talking to him, I wouldn’t be surprised he’s in the lineup tomorrow or the next day.”

In Lindor’s place, Mendoza put rookie Ronny Mauricio at shortstop. The Mets prospect has started two games since being called up this week, both at third base. The Mets skipper explained that while they have put the work to teach Mauricio third base, his ability to hit from both sides gave him the leg up over Luisangel Acuna.

“Wanted to get a switch-hitter there,” Mendoza explained. “This is his natural position. When he started playing his rehab games this year we put him at short. Adding another switch-hitter to the lineup and give him an opportunity.”

In two games, Mauricio has yet to get a hit (0-8).

The Yankees‘ series opener against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night will not start on time due to rain.

The team later announced the delay would be relatively short, with a new start time of 7:30 p.m.

Right-hander Will Warren (5.19 ERA, 1.423 WHIP in 52 innings) was set to make his 13th start of the season as he looks to bounce back from his worst outing of the season, when he allowed seven runs on six hits and four walks in just 1.1 innings Saturday at the Dodgers.

“He’s a confident kid and in a good spot,” Yanks manager Aaron Boone said ahead of the series opener. “[Warren] is in the middle of what I think is a very good year and a year of growth for him. He’s had his bumps in the road along the way, a lot of those early. And since then, has been very good until his last one. But I expect him to go out and get after it, and certainly has the stuff to be successful.”

The visitors are set to start righty Walker Buehler (4.44 ERA, 1.307 WHIP in 46.2 innings) to make his 10th start in his debut season with Boston.

“A lot of really good young players, a lot of team speed, and we’re gonna see some good pitching this weekend, starting with Buehler tonight,” Boone said of the Red Sox.

On the starter, who got the final three outs in Game 5 as Los Angeles clinched the World Series in The Bronx last October, the skipper said he expected him to show off his big arsenal and really mix in his pitches.

“He’s gonna throw a little bit of everything at you,” Boone said. “He’s gonna work the edges a little bit, so get him on the plate and hit our pitches. That’s gonna be key.”

First pitch was originally scheduled for 7:05 p.m., but the tarp covered the field ten minutes before 6 p.m. as thunder and rain descended upon The Bronx.

The Yankees (38-23) hold a 5.0 game lead in the AL East and are 9.5 games ahead of the fourth-placed Red Sox (30-34).