With the Mets in the midst of a grueling stretch of 16 straight games, New York will need reinforcements and are reportedly going to rely on a couple of young arms.
The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports that after Jonah Tong‘s impressive season debut in relief in the Mets’ 2-1 loss to the Marlins on Friday, the young right-hander will be rewarded by staying with the big league team. While his role is not yet known, Sammon reports that it is expected that Tong will pitch against the Reds on Wednesday.
Tong allowed just one walk in three scoreless and hitless innings on Friday while striking out two batters. It’s arguably the most impressive he’s looked with the Mets and the team hopes this time around, things will be different.
The right-hander struggled in his brief time with the Mets at the end of the 2025 season, going 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA over five starts.
In addition, Sammon is reporting that the Mets are expected to promote right-handed reliever Jonathan Pintaro.
Pintaro, 28, has pitched well in Triple-A Syracuse this season. He’s pitched to a 2.81 ERA while striking out 32 batters in his 15 appearances (25.2 innings). He appeared in one game in the majors in his career, and it came last season with the Mets.
Back on June 25 against the Braves, Pintaro allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one batter in just 0.2 innings pitched.
The corresponding move for Pintaro is not yet known, but it’s possible that if Tong pitches on regular rest, he could take Zach Thornton‘s spot on the roster. Freddy Peralta and Christian Scott are set to pitch this weekend, which leaves Nolan McLean and David Peterson going Monday and Tuesday before Tong on Wednesday.
The Mets are set to take on the Marlins at 4:05 p.m. on Saturday, and if Pintaro is indeed being promoted, the move will arrive before first pitch.