Mets stick with Jonah Tong for Thursday start despite rough outing

The New York Mets plan to hand 22-year-old right-hander Jonah Tong another start Thursday in the series finale against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field despite a brief and turbulent outing in his most recent appearance.

Tong lasted two-thirds of an inning in a loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday, allowing six runs on four hits and three walks, but manager Carlos Mendoza said the club will not "overreact after one inning, one outing." Mendoza spoke before the Mets' 8-3 victory Tuesday and said the organization believes in Tong's ability to bounce back based on his performance in the minors and in earlier big-league opportunities this season.

Tong rose quickly through the minor leagues this year and produced respectable showings in his first two major-league starts before last week's short outing. President of baseball operations David Stearns said the club's decision to keep Tong in the rotation reflects confidence in his makeup as well as his raw stuff.

"With all three of these guys [including Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat], I think one of the reasons we were comfortable making the decisions we did to promote them was we felt like they can handle adversity, and they can bounce back," Stearns said. He added that many veterans on the pitching staff had shared similar early-career struggles with Tong in the clubhouse after the game. "I also don't want to necessarily overstate one outing. I think a pitch here or there very much could have changed that inning."

The decision to start Tong comes as the Mets compress their rotation; reliever Clay Holmes and veteran Sean Manaea worked in tandem Tuesday and performed effectively. Mendoza said the club still values Tong as part of the group and expects him to respond after the difficult outing.

Tong's retention in the major-league rotation coincides with Kodai Senga remaining with Triple-A Syracuse. Mendoza said Senga will make a second start for Syracuse at the end of the week "and then we'll go from there." Barring an injury, Senga would not have been eligible for a recall until Saturday under roster rules.

The Mets have also been monitoring catcher Luis Torrens, who is on a rehab assignment with Syracuse after a right-forearm contusion. Torrens caught seven innings Tuesday and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Stearns praised Mendoza's handling of the team, saying, "I think Mendi's done a very good job. I think he's been a positive leader, a consistent leader, has done what he can to get our group going, and I think he's going to continue to do that." The organization will evaluate Tong's performance Thursday and chart the rotation plan as the season progresses.

Tong's next start will be another test of his ability to recover from a difficult outing and of the Mets' strategy in balancing immediate needs with the development of young pitchers on the big-league staff.