The New York Mets recalled the 22-year-old pitcher from triple-A on Friday, the team announced. To make room for Tong, the Mets designated veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel for assignment.
Tong was scratched from his start at triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the move was made to keep the Markham, Ont., native “in play” for a start in the team’s weekend series against the Miami Marlins.
The Canadian shot up New York’s minor-league affiliates in 2025, striking out 179 batters in 113.2 innings split between double-A Binghamton and triple-A Syracuse – leading all of affiliated ball. Along with his monster punchout numbers, Tong carried a 1.43 ERA in the minors and was named the MiLB pitcher of the year.
His strong showing earned him a late-August recall to the Mets. And while Tong battled inconsistency against major-league hitters, he still struck out 22 in 18.2 innings and made five starts for the Mets down the stretch.
The 22-year-old was optioned back to triple-A to begin the 2026 season, where he has been tasked with improving some of his secondary offerings.
So far, the results haven’t quite been as solid as they were in 2025. Over nine triple-A starts, Tong owns a 5.68 ERA, but he has still racked up 55 strikeouts in 38 innings.
The Mets have lost a number of players to the injured list. That includes starters Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga, creating a need that Tong may be tabbed to fill.
After a disappointing start to the season, the Mets have won seven of their last 10 games to climb back to 22-28 for the season.
