Overview
- Interim manager Andy Green confirmed that Tong will be called up to start the first game of the Miami series on Monday and that the rotation was rearranged to slot Sean Manaea for the next start while using Robert Stock in a long-relief role.
- Tong arrives after a dominant stretch in Triple-A Syracuse, posting a 0.84 ERA with 23 strikeouts over his last four starts and taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Aug. 29.
- He last pitched for the Mets in early June and had mixed big-league results previously, including a rushed late-2025 promotion that produced a 7.71 ERA in five starts and a brief 2026 relief stint when he went 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA over 10 innings.
- The September plan to give extra rest to young starters like Christian Scott, Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton creates roster space for Tong to remain with the club and take multiple turns if he performs, a possibility Green endorsed by saying Tong 'is going to be with us.'
- Coaches credit Tong’s rebound to experimenting with arm slot and pitch mix in Triple-A—adding a cutter and rediscovering his changeup—so his start will test whether those mechanical changes can translate into sustained major-league success and provide the Mets with needed rotation depth while closer Devin Williams remains sidelined.