Mets Stop Short of Committing to Another Start for Prospect Jonah Tong After Early Exit

The New York Mets left open the possibility that top pitching prospect Jonah Tong might not get another start after a disastrous early exit in Friday’s 8-3 loss to the Texas Rangers at Citi Field.

Manager Carlos Mendoza declined to commit to Tong making another turn through the rotation, saying only, “We’ll see,” and adding that the club might use the 22-year-old in tandem with another starter as it figures out a six-man group with a seventh option trying to force his way in.

Tong failed to record the third out of the first inning, charged with six runs on four hits and three walks over 40 pitches. Texas took a patient approach, swinging only once on the first 19 pitches they saw, and two walks helped ignite the rally. Tong had been stronger in his first two big-league starts, allowing five earned runs in 11 innings against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds, but the Rangers’ patience exposed early command issues.

The immediate roster calculus was complicated by an encouraging performance from Kodai Senga, who debuted for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. Senga allowed one run on three hits, issued no walks and struck out eight across six innings. The former All-Star’s strong outing came as he continues a minor-league rehab assignment; the Mets cannot recall Senga to the major-league roster until Sept. 20 unless another player on the 26-man roster is injured.

Mendoza said the club is prepared to be “creative” with its pitching staff as it evaluates options. Nolan McLean has earned a spot in the group, and Brandon Sproat delivered a strong debut. Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes figure to be candidates for shorter, piggyback assignments, the manager indicated, as both have shown intriguing stuff but have not been able to work deep into games consistently. David Peterson, who had struggled in six starts earlier in the season, produced a five-inning outing allowing three runs in Philadelphia on Thursday.

Francisco Álvarez provided the Mets’ first run with an opposite-field solo homer in the third inning. Huascar Brazobán worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Tong, the second-longest scoreless outing of his career, and provided length out of the bullpen in a game the rotation could not hold.

The club is also managing a platoon situation in center field. Cedric Mullins, acquired from Baltimore at the trade deadline, returned to the lineup for the first time in three games Friday and went 1-for-3 with a single off Jacob deGrom. Mullins has struggled since the trade, hitting .183/.297/.280 in his first 31 games with the Mets, and has sat against left-handed starters with right-handed hitters José Siri and Jeff McNeil getting starts in his place.

Mullins has been working with co-hitting coach Jeremy Barnes on a more direct path to the ball and on not losing his hands behind him on inside pitches. "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 team has instituted extra early batting-practice sessions before the official batting-practice routine as part of that work.

Mendoza also provided medical updates. Right-hander Tylor Megill is seeking multiple medical opinions for elbow tightness, and the club remains cautious as it weighs options for the final weeks of the season.

The Mets held a moment of silence earlier in September for former manager Davey Johnson, who died Sept. 5 at 82. Bobby Valentine, who coached with Johnson in 1984 and later with the Cincinnati Reds, praised Johnson’s embrace of data and analytics. "Davey was one of the most selfless star players that I was ever around," Valentine said. "Davey didn’t think he knew it all. He liked to look at the stats, and then he could see things better, as people do today with the analytics. Analytics are just a vision and answer, right? That’s all analytics are. … Davey got that early. Davey was cool."

With an off-day Monday, the Mets plan to use the break for further internal discussions about how to deploy their starting resources down the stretch. Management faces a choice between giving Tong another opportunity to settle in as a traditional starter, pairing him with a piggyback partner to shield him from high-leverage innings, or reshuffling the rotation if Senga’s rehab progresses and other options continue to press. Any roster move involving Senga remains constrained by the Sept. 20 recall eligibility unless an injury opens a spot earlier.

The Mets entered the weekend juggling short-term performance, health concerns and development priorities as they finalize plans for September usage. The club's next steps will likely hinge on additional reviews of film, medical updates and how the younger pitchers respond in bullpen sessions ahead of decisions expected after the off-day.