Mets' Jose Siri booed by home crowd after rough return in 12-6 win over Nationals

The Mets beat the Washington Nationals 12-6 at Citi Field on Friday night, but the night belonged to Jose Siri for all the wrong reasons. The outfielder, who missed most of the season with a fractured tibia, made his seventh home appearance and his second start in Queens since April, and he heard boos from the Citi Field crowd after a series of misplays and rough at-bats during a lopsided game.

In a four-run third inning that also featured a misplay by a teammate and a misplayed rundown, Siri struggled defensively. A throw from pitcher Brandon Sproat to first base bounded into right field, and Juan Soto did not back up, helping extend the inning. Siri misplayed two consecutive batted balls in different ways, neither charged as an error on the scorecard. With two outs and a runner on second, Josh Bell hit a line drive to left-center that Siri did well to reach, then extended his arm, opened his glove and watched the ball pop in and out for what was ruled an RBI double.

Three pitches later, Daylen Lile lined a hit into right-center that would have likely been a single if Siri had cut the ball off. Instead, the ball rolled all the way to the wall for an RBI triple, further inflaming the home crowd.

After the rough third, Siri remained in the lineup but drew boos in each ensuing at-bat, including a fourth-inning strikeout that began with a pitch-clock violation against him. Manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged the toll the night took but emphasized the need to stay the course. “I know it could get hard, right? But I think not putting your head down and keep competing — that was pretty much my messaging to him,” Mendoza said.

Siri is a right-handed hitter who started Friday because Washington started a left-hander, Andrew Alvarez, while Cedric Mullins — who joined the Mets in the season’s late stages — has struggled against right-handed pitching but remains Mendoza’s preferred option against lefties. Mullins himself has heard boos in Queens but earned a round of applause when he pinch-hit in the eighth inning as he helped Dell Siri off the field. Mullins struck out.

Center field has been a black hole for the Mets, who do not want to play Jeff McNeil there regularly and who soon will have Tyrone Taylor as an option, the veteran beginning a rehab assignment Friday. Siri, back from injury, has shown elite speed and a strong throwing arm, but he has yet to regain the smooth defensive reads and consistent contact that defined his peak. In four games back, he is 1-for-12 with nine strikeouts, a reminder that a return from a serious injury can be an uneven process even for a player with his tools.

The Mets, meanwhile, built a comfortable lead before coasting to a victory that kept them in the hunt as they navigate a crowded outfield picture. Siri’s return had been anticipated for weeks, and the night underscored the challenges of integrating a high-profile defensive and baserunning weapon into a lineup mid-season, especially after a long layoff. Mendoza’s message to Siri — keep your head up and keep competing — echoed the broader theme of the night: results matter, but resilience matters more when a player is still regaining rhythm.