Mets Uncertain About Jonah Tong’s Next Start After Early Collapse

The New York Mets declined to commit to another start for top pitching prospect Jonah Tong on Saturday after he failed to record a third out in the first inning during Friday’s 8-3 loss to the Texas Rangers at Citi Field.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said the club will "see" whether Tong makes another start, adding that the Mets have discussed creative ways to use a rotation that currently has six regular members and a seventh candidate a level below trying to prove himself. Tong was charged with six runs on four hits and three walks over 40 pitches in the outing, and the Rangers took an aggressive approach that produced two early walks that keyed their rally.

Tong had been far stronger in his first two big-league starts, allowing five earned runs in 11 innings against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds, but Friday’s performance raised questions about how the Mets will manage the young right-hander the rest of September. Mendoza said it was possible Tong could be used in a tandem with another starter rather than in a traditional one-man start, an approach the Mets have considered as they try to balance innings and effectiveness down the stretch.

The outcome of Tong’s outing coincided with an encouraging performance by veteran right-hander Kodai Senga, who debuted for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. Senga allowed one run on three hits with no walks in six innings while striking out eight. The former All-Star, who missed time this season with a right hamstring strain and returned with mixed results, had been expected to receive multiple minor-league starts as he worked back toward form. Under major-league roster rules, Senga cannot be recalled to the Mets from Syracuse until Sept. 20 unless another player is injured.

With Senga unavailable for an immediate return, the Mets are weighing their current options. Nolan McLean has earned a rotation spot and Brandon Sproat had a strong debut. Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes are viewed as possible piggyback candidates; Holmes’ stuff has intrigued the staff but he has not been able to pitch deep into games. David Peterson, who struggled in earlier starts this season, made a more effective outing Thursday in Philadelphia, allowing three runs in five innings.

The Mets’ bullpen absorbed most of the damage after Tong exited. Huascar Brazobán worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, the second-longest scoreless outing of his career. Offensively, Francisco Álvarez delivered the first run with an opposite-field solo home run in the third inning, finishing 2-for-3 on the night.

Cedric Mullins, who had been out of the starting lineup for three games, returned and went 1-for-3 with a single. Mullins, acquired at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles, has struggled since joining the Mets, arriving with a .183/.297/.280 slash line in his first 31 games for New York. He has been part of a platoon at the position; right-handed hitters José Siri and Jeff McNeil have started in center against lefty starters. Hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said the club has worked with Mullins on creating a more direct path to the ball, encouraging him to get his hands out in front and avoid getting "lost behind" pitches, particularly on the inner half.

The Mets held a moment of silence before Friday’s game for former manager Davey Johnson, who died Sept. 5 at age 82. Bobby Valentine, who served as Johnson’s third-base coach in 1984 and later coached with him in Cincinnati, praised Johnson’s embrace of data and analytics, saying, "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."

Tylor Megill remains in the club’s medical review process with elbow tightness, Mendoza said, and the right-hander is seeking additional doctors’ opinions. The Mets have little roster flexibility until late September given Senga’s minor-league assignment and the current makeup of the staff, which complicates immediate decisions about Tong’s next role.

As the regular season winds down, the Mets must balance development and competitiveness. Tong’s uneven start in the majors and Senga’s step forward at Triple-A have given the organization options but also created short-term decisions about how to allocate innings and roster spots. Mendoza and his staff will use Monday’s off day to continue discussions about the rotation and the most effective way to deploy their starters and relievers the rest of the season.