Mets Noncommittal on Jonah Tong After First-Inning Collapse; Rotation Options Multiply
Manager Carlos Mendoza says the club will 'see' whether the top prospect makes another start as Kodai Senga posts encouraging Triple-A debut
The New York Mets declined to commit to another start for top pitching prospect Jonah Tong after a rough outing Friday that underscored the club’s unsettled rotation and the need for Monday’s off day to serve as a talk-it-through checkpoint.
Tong failed to record a third out in the first inning, allowing six runs on four hits and three walks over 40 pitches in an 8-3 loss to the Texas Rangers at Citi Field on Sept. 12. Manager Carlos Mendoza said, "We'll see" whether Tong will make another start, leaving open the possibility of using the prospect in a tandem with another starter or moving him out of the rotation temporarily.
Tong had been far stronger in his first two big-league starts, yielding five earned runs in 11 innings against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. Texas hitters displayed patience against the rookie Friday: of the first 19 pitches they chased only once and two walks began the Rangers’ rally.
The Mets’ rotation picture is complicated by the availability of veteran Kodai Senga, who made a promising start Thursday for Triple-A Syracuse. Senga allowed one run on three hits with no walks in six innings while striking out eight. Because of roster rules, Senga cannot be recalled before Sept. 20 unless another Met reaches the injured list, which gives the club a week-plus to weigh options.
Other internal candidates already in New York or pushing for innings include Nolan McLean, who has earned a spot with his recent work, and Brandon Sproat, who had a strong major-league debut. Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes have shown intriguing stuff but have not been consistently able to work deep into games and are viewed as potential piggyback options. David Peterson, after a difficult stretch earlier in the season, allowed three runs in five innings in a start in Philadelphia on Thursday.
In relief work, Huascar Brazobán tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings in long relief of Tong — the second-longest scoreless relief outing of his career — and Francisco Álvarez provided New York’s first run with an opposite-field solo home run in the third inning. The Mets trailed 8-3 after the Texas rally that opened on Tong’s lack of command.
Cedric Mullins, who had been out of the starting lineup for three games, returned Friday and went 1-for-3 with a single off Jacob deGrom. Mullins has been part of a platoon in center field after being acquired at the trade deadline; he entered the Mets lineup with a 31-game stretch in New York that produced a .183/.297/.280 slash line. Co-hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said the team has been working with Mullins on a more direct path to the ball and preventing his hands from getting "lost behind" him on inside pitches.
The Mets also paused to hold 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, called Johnson "one of the most selfless star players that I was ever around" and noted the late manager’s early embrace of analytics.
On the injury front, Mendoza said right-hander Tylor Megill is still seeking medical opinions for elbow tightness. The club’s decisionmaking will be shaped by the upcoming off day and the timing of Senga’s potential availability. With several rotation and bullpen roles in flux, the Mets said they will remain creative as they try to balance immediate needs with longer-term roster management as September progresses.
