WASHINGTON -- The Mets scratched second-ranked prospect Jonah Tong from his scheduled start at Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, with possible plans to insert the right-hander as a spot starter this weekend in Miami.
That much, however, is no guarantee. While the Mets would like to use Tong to give their other starters an extra day of rest during the team’s current stretch of 16 games in 16 days, they might achieve that organically with significant rain in the forecast Thursday. A rainout would lessen the need for Tong, who has struggled to the tune of a 5.68 ERA through nine starts at Syracuse.
Tong’s inclusion will also depend upon how heavily the Mets tax their bullpen in Washington.
"We’re keeping him in play,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before Wednesday night's game against the Nationals. "There’s a chance that he plays a part in the Miami series for us, but we’ve got to get through today. We’ve got to get through tomorrow. And we’ll go from there.”
At some point over the weekend in Miami, Tong could start a game for the Mets. He could provide bulk relief behind an opener. He could even serve as a short reliever, though the team would prefer not to put him in that situation. Or he could fly back to Syracuse without having pitched at all.
More will become clear after the Mets wrap up their four-game series against the Nationals on Thursday. The team scratched Tong from his Syracuse start simply to keep its options open.
"There’s a lot that’s going on, [a lot] that’s on the table that we’re discussing,” Mendoza said.
Part of the reason why the Mets aren’t fully committed to using Tong is that he’s pitched inconsistently since his Major League debut last August. In five starts down the stretch for the Mets, Tong produced a 7.71 ERA. He allowed six earned runs in seven innings this spring and has continued to struggle back at Triple-A.
For weeks, Tong has worked to make mechanical adjustments that Mets officials believe to be the root cause of his issues. But the right-hander allowed seven runs (six earned) in his last outing, casting further doubt on his improvements.
Tong’s abilities aside, the Mets only have two other pitchers on their 40-man roster, Jonathan Pintaro and Dylan Ross, whom they could conceivably call up this weekend. Of that group, Tong is most capable of providing length.
"There’s no denying he’s been inconsistent,” Mendoza said. “But we also like how he bounces back. We saw it last year when he was here with us, he had a couple of tough outings and he was able to recover the next one. We’re not too worried about that, so that’s why he’s in play. We’re high on him, and we’ve been saying it. He’s going to help us.”
Before his Major League callup, Tong had established himself as the organization’s top overall prospect, striking out 179 batters over 113 2/3 innings in the upper Minors last season, with a 1.43 ERA. He is currently the organization’s No. 2 prospect behind outfielder A.J. Ewing.