The New York Mets are giving Jonah Tong the ball to start today’s game against the Miami Marlins, yanking him up from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move that sent Justin Hagenman back down. This isn’t just another roster shuffle, this is the Mets throwing a promising arm back into the fire for his fourth big league appearance this season.
Tong’s Rollercoaster Year
Tong’s 2026 has been a wild ride already. He first popped up with the big league club for a bullpen appearance against the Marlins back in May. Then, he got two shots behind an opener, showing flashes of brilliance mixed with some clear issues. In those two starts, he threw for six and two-thirds innings without allowing a single earned run, racking up three strikeouts. That sounds sweet, right? But he also walked five guys and didn’t last very long in either outing. Those walks and short stints were definitely red flags. Still, he kept the Mets competitive in those games. His third appearance, though, was a straight up nightmare, lasting just three and a third innings and getting shelled for five runs before getting demoted.
Syracuse Turnaround Ignites a Shot
After a mostly rough year up until that point, something clicked for Tong down in Syracuse. His last two starts for Triple-A Syracuse have been absolutely lights out, making this call-up feel earned. He went a combined twelve and two-thirds innings, allowing only four hits and, get this, ZERO earned runs. He walked just four batters across those two games and punched out nine. That’s the kind of performance that makes you wonder if he finally found his groove, and the Mets are clearly hoping it carries over to the big stage.
Hagenman’s Quick Exit
On the other side of this roster move, Justin Hagenman is headed back to Triple-A after yesterday’s win over the Giants. Hagenman had a brief two-appearance stint with the Mets after getting called up just last week. He opened the September 2nd game against the Rays, giving them three innings, allowing one earned run, walking one, and striking out two. Then, in an inning of relief against the Giants on Saturday, he got tagged for a solo home run. Not exactly a long or memorable stretch for Hagenman, but that’s how it goes in the bullpen sometimes.
So, here we are. Jonah Tong gets another shot to prove he belongs, staring down the Marlins today. With his recent Triple-A dominance, Mets fans have to be wondering if this is the start of him finally putting it all together. Every pitch today is going to be under the microscope. Can he maintain that zero-earned-run streak from Syracuse? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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