Mets to honor Willie Mays, Jerry Grote with patches on jersey for rest of season

The Mets will honor two more former players with patches on their uniforms for the remainder of this season.

The team announced Saturday that it will add the patches containing the numbers of Willie Mays (24) and Jerry Grote (15) to commemorate their recent deaths.

Mays, who played the final two seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the Mets in 1972-73, died on June 18 .

The Mets retired his number in 2022.

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Grote, a two-time All-Star catcher with the Mets from 1966-77 and a member of the franchise’s Hall of Fame, died in April .

Grote’s wife, Cheryl, and son, Jeff, were at Citi Field for Saturday’s 9-6 loss to the Astros, as was Art Shamsky, who called his former Mets teammate “the greatest defensive catcher I ever saw.”

“I came up with the Reds … and Johnny Bench has always said if they were teammates, he’d be a third baseman,” Shamsky said.

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The Mets already had a No. 3 patch on their uniforms this season to honor former player and manager Bud Harrelson, who died in January .

“It has been a tough year for our Mets family,” owner Steve Cohen said in a statement. “We’ve lost two Mets Hall of Famers in Buddy Harrelson and Jerry Grote and the great Willie Mays.

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“Jerry was the best defensive catcher in the history of our organization and guided the incredible 1969 pitching staff. We were honored to fulfill [former owner] Joan Payson’s promise to retire Willie’s number on Old Timers’ Day a few years ago and make sure he has a permanent home in New York.”

One day after one of his finest offensive games of the season, Jeff McNeil was not in the Mets’ starting lineup against the Astros.

McNeil went 3-for-4 with a home run — his first since May 20 — and three RBIs in Friday’s 7-2 victory. Jose Iglesias got Saturday’s start at second base and went 3-for-4 with an RBI. McNeil got in the game late as a defensive replacement.

“They all get it, man. It’s 26 guys and they’re fighting every day to contribute,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Obviously Jeff knows that he’s our second baseman, but understanding there’s going to be times when we’re facing a lefty that he’s not going to be in the lineup.

“He’s been swinging the bat well the past few days, but I thought Iglesias today was a good matchup. Jeff will be ready to go when needed.”

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