Mets Latest Roster Move Keeps Jonah Tong in Big League Plans

The New York Mets are keeping Jonah Tong around after he impressed in his season debut last night.

Before Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins, the Mets made a crucial roster move. They optioned starter Zach Thornton to Triple-A Syracuse and called up pitching prospect Jonathan Pintaro.

Thornton's demotion confirms Friday night's report from Will Sammon of The Athletic that Tong will pitch again Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds.

Tong allowed just one baserunner (a walk) and faced the minimum nine batters over three hitless innings in relief Friday night. He also got more mileage out of his Vulcan changeup, a pitch he has worked on in the minors this season. His appearance Friday was arguably the best he has looked in his brief time in the majors.

We have made the following roster moves. pic.twitter.com/tnVMz3sGuH

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 23, 2026

Thornton, meanwhile, started for the Mets against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. The left-hander struggled early and got ambushed by a three-run homer from CJ Abrams.

Overall, Thornton went 4.1 innings, allowing four hits, four runs and two walks while striking out three. He will certainly get another opportunity in the future.

Pintaro will take over the bullpen spot recently vacated by Craig Kimbrel, who was designated for assignment yesterday. Pintaro is the Mets' No. 20 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

He made one appearance last season and struggled in his lone inning of work, allowing two runs to score.

This season in the minors, Pintaro has looked great. In 25.2 innings, he has a 2.81 ERA with 32 strikeouts.

As for Tong, he soared through the minors last year and led all minor league pitchers in strikeouts. However, he has not found that same success this season.

Over nine starts, Tong is 1-3 with a 5.68 ERA across 38 innings. He has still continued to miss bats, recording 55 strikeouts.

The young right-hander has continued to improve his arsenal to become a more complete pitcher. Last season, Tong mostly used three pitches: his over-the-top four-seam fastball, changeup and curveball. That got him into trouble during his first major league stint.

This season in the minors, Tong has now added a cutter and slider into the mix. He has struggled to refine those pitches, but they still give hitters a different look. That should help him in the long run.

The Mets play the middle game of their series against the Marlins today at 4:10 p.m. EST.

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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 10:28 AM.