Mets decline to commit to another start for Jonah Tong after rough outing; Senga shines in Triple-A debut
Manager Carlos Mendoza says the club will consider creative uses for a crowded rotation as Kodai Senga posts encouraging rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse
The New York Mets declined to commit Friday to another start for top prospect Jonah Tong after he was charged with six runs and failed to record a third out in an 8-3 loss to the Texas Rangers at Citi Field.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday’s upcoming off-day will be an important talk-it-through day for a rotation that already carries six pitchers and has a seventh at Triple-A trying to prove himself. “We’ll see” if Tong makes another start, Mendoza said, adding that the club has discussed getting “creative” with its starters and could use Tong in a tandem role with another pitcher.
Tong, ranked among the Mets’ top prospects, was far stronger in his first two big-league starts, allowing five earned runs over 11 innings against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. On Friday, he could not record the third out in the first inning, giving up four hits and three walks over 40 pitches as Texas used patience to force two walks and a rally early. Of the first 19 pitches Rangers batters saw, they swung once.
In relief, Huascar Brazobán worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings — the second-longest scoreless outing of his career — and Francisco Álvarez supplied the Mets’ first run with an opposite-field solo home run in the third inning. Cedric Mullins, back in the lineup after several games out, went 1-for-3 with a single off Jacob deGrom.
The timing of Jonah Tong’s meltdown coincided with an encouraging outing from Kodai Senga, who made his Triple-A Syracuse debut the same night. Senga allowed one run on three hits and no walks in six innings while striking out eight. Senga, an All-Star in 2023 and on an All-Star trajectory earlier this season before a right hamstring strain, had been expected to make multiple minor-league rehab starts. Under major-league rules, Senga cannot be recalled to the Mets until Sept. 20 unless the club replaces an injured player on the roster.
Decisions about the Mets’ rotation will have to weigh several factors. Nolan McLean has earned a spot, Brandon Sproat had a strong debut, and Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes have produced interesting stuff but have not regularly worked deep into games, making them possible piggyback candidates. David Peterson, who had struggled through six starts, allowed three runs in five innings during a start in Philadelphia on Thursday.
Tong’s first two big-league outings suggested promise, but Friday’s performance underscored the adjustment challenges faced by pitchers moving from the minors to a major-league lineup that displayed greater plate discipline. Mendoza’s mention of tandems and piggyback options reflects both the immediate need for innings and the organization’s interest in protecting young arms while remaining competitive down the stretch.
Mullins, acquired at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles, has been part of a platoon in center field and struggled at the plate since arriving, hitting .183/.297/.280 in his first 31 games with the Mets. The club has altered his work routine, including early batting-practice sessions with co-hitting coach Jeremy Barnes, and has instructed Mullins to produce a more direct path to the ball. “The thing that we’ve talked to him about is not losing things behind him, getting out in front,” Barnes said. “People have tried to pound him in, right, and … if I get my hands lost behind me, I can’t get there.”
The Mets also held a moment of silence for former manager Davey Johnson, who died Sept. 5 at 82. Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine, who served as Johnson’s third-base coach in 1984 and later coached with him in Cincinnati, praised Johnson’s use of data and analytics in evaluating players and strategy.
Injury updates and roster notes remain in flux. Mendoza said right-hander Tylor Megill, who has reported elbow tightness, is still seeking doctors’ opinions. The Mets will continue to monitor the health of their staff and the readiness of Senga and other reinforcements as they navigate the final weeks of the regular season and determine the most sustainable pitching plan for the roster.