Category: MLB

The Brewers moved back into first place in the National League Central yesterday when they defeated the Cubs, and they also clinched a series victory in the first set between the two teams this season. Tonight, they aim for a sweep with Kyle Harrison on the mound.

Harrison continued his excellent first season with the Brewers last Thursday when he went five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and zero walks against the Padres in a game that Milwaukee ultimately won 7-1. The only nit to pick in that start was Harrison’s efficiency, as he needed 99 pitches to complete those five innings; he’ll look to improve on that tonight, given that Milwaukee used their entire A bullpen on Tuesday. They’ve got a day off tomorrow, though, so bullpen usage may not be particularly restricted. On the season, Harrison is 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA and 2.88 FIP, and he’s striking out over 11 batters per nine innings.

The Cubs will counter with right-hander Edward Cabrera, who they traded top prospect Owen Caissie for in the offseason. Cabrera’s results have been a little mixed this season; he’s done a decent job of keeping his walks at a sustainable level (3.2 per nine, slightly worse than last year but significantly better than his career rate), but he isn’t striking out as many (7.9 per nine, which would be a career low by far). Cabrera’s ERA of 4.06 is slightly worse than league average, but it still outpaces his 4.51 FIP by quite a bit. After back-to-back scoreless starts in his first two appearances of the year, Cabrera hasn’t allowed fewer than three runs in any of his seven starts since (though he’s given up more than three runs only once). Historically, Cabrera has been pretty good against Milwaukee, though: 19 2/3 innings against the Brewers when he was a Marlin, Cabrera had a 2.29 ERA and 20 strikeouts.

One quick roster note before we get to lineups: Peter Strzelecki, who was called up for one day before being designated for assignment, cleared waivers, but elected free agency rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A Nashville.

Milwaukee uses another unique lineup tonight (their 47th in 47 games). This one features David Hamilton at third base, Joey Ortiz in at shortstop against the right-hander, and an outfield of Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick. Andrew Vaughn once again starts on the bench, with Christian Yelich as the designated hitter and Jake Bauers in left field.

First pitch at Wrigley Field is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

In the mood to sweep

📺: https://t.co/eycfmE2vgm
📻: WTMJ#ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/UiRGYuv8TI

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 20, 2026

Your Wednesday night starters.

Tune in live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/jJyrNaxLni

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 20, 2026

Detroit Tigers (20-29) vs. Cleveland Guardians (28-22)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Covering the Corner
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: TBA vs. RHP Tanner Bibee (0-6, 4.15 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
TBA	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Bibee	10	52.0	21.2	9.0	40.5	4.27	0.7

After an emotional win last night, the Nats evened the series with the Mets and got within a game of .500 again. Now, the Nationals can get back to .500 with a win. The best offense in baseball will be facing a kid making his big league debut. Hopefully they can give him a rude awakening.

With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera will be making some changes to the lineup. Curtis Mead will be in the 2 hole and play third base. Andres Chaparro will make his first start since being recalled, playing first base. Dylan Crews will shift to right field with Jacob Young making his return to the lineup. Keibert Ruiz will be behind the plate in this one. Zack Littell will get the ball after having a nice start against the O’s.

a lineup is kind of like a baseball menu

→ https://t.co/iUBDqlACVspic.twitter.com/Ds7uhb0NLD

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 20, 2026

The Mets are also making a few changes. Juan Soto will be playing the field, getting the start in left. A.J. Ewing will be back in the lineup, playing center field. MJ Melendez will start at DH and Hayden Senger will do the catching. Zach Thornton will make his MLB debut tonight. The lefty is a command artist.

Tonight’s starters ⚾️ #LGMpic.twitter.com/FsqIx4L8pA

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 20, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

Last night was one of the most fun games of the season. Now they will have a chance to follow that up with another good performance. This team is never out of a game with this offense and they will have a chance to face a rookie making his debut tonight. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

The Texas Rangers scored five runs but the Colorado Rockies scored four runs.

In a very the-Rangers-are-quite-strange kind of way, the club almost lost a second consecutive series to a league-worst team despite outscoring them. The Rangers have outscored their opponents 30-17 on their current road trip, but were a couple of outs away from a second consecutive series loss, this time to the now 19-31 Rockies.

After outscoring the Astros nine runs to six, the Rangers outscored Colorado 21-11 in this series only to trail 4-3 into the ninth in the day’s rubber match. Without the ninth inning rally, Texas would have been staring at a most depressing result in the chilly spring drizzle in the Rocky Mountains. Thankfully, the sun is now shining as the Rangers scored two in the ninth to grab the series.

For a while there was worry as the Rangers fell back on old habits with Jack Leiter allowing a two-out RBI single in the first inning after an easy 1-2-3 top of the frame from the Texas bats. Nevertheless, another early deficit was put behind them when the Rangers had a spurt of scoring in the top of the fourth with Ezequiel Duran and Jake Burger hit back-to-back home runs.

Duran’s dong was of the two-run variety and Burger’s gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead with Leiter seemingly settling in. But Leiter’s stuff seemed down even as he got through the next few innings unscathed after the first. In the bottom of the fourth, his command abandoned him completely and he walked in a run. An inning later, he allowed both the tying and go-ahead runs to score.

So, bottom of the fifth and the Rockies take a one-run lead. But it’s the Rockies, and it’s Coors Field. Surely it’s not over right there, right? Well, it sure seemed like it was until in the ninth the Rangers loaded the bases, scored the tying run on a swinging strike passed ball, and then took the lead on a Josh Jung RBI single against a drawn-in infield.

Jacob Latz pitched his second scoreless inning in the bottom ninth for the save and the Rangers are now back to within a game of .500.

Player of the Game: Josh Jung played the hero with the go-ahead RBI in the top of the ninth while also going 3-for-4 overall on the day.

Up Next: The Rangers have the day off tomorrow before starting a series against the Anaheim Angels for the final leg of this current road trip beginning on Friday night in Orange County.

J.P. Crawford was a late scratch before Wednesday’s series finale against the White Sox, as the triceps issue stemming from a hit by pitch in the last series with the Padres continues to bother him. Pregame he was seen pointing out the sore area to Cole Young, playfully poking the young second baseman in the same spot, before settling in to take his daily defensive drills with Perry Hill.

It’s the kind of leadership and attention to young players Crawford has demonstrated during his entire tenure as a Mariner, something that will intensify when Crawford is able to return to play – although not, perhaps, where Mariners fans are used to seeing him. While going through those drills, Crawford walked to third base instead of his usual position at short.

Per Mariners GM Justin Hollander, Crawford’s agent reached out to him about the possibility of playing third base, saying he wanted to do whatever was necessary to help the team win. Crawford reportedly approached Dan Wilson directly with the same proposition.

Whether you rely on the eye test or on defensive stats, it’s been a struggle for Crawford at shortstop this year. With a Fielding Run Value of -5, Crawford ranks in the bottom five of all defenders in MLB; his Defensive Runs Saved mark of -7 is also bottom-five in the bigs. If you’ve just been relying on the eye test, you’ve seen the throws that have gone off-target at first, most cleaned up by Josh Naylor – not anything that would show up in defensive stats, but uncomfortable nonetheless. Crawford missed time this spring with a lingering shoulder issue, which might be impacting his accuracy. There have been times this season where Crawford’s body language has shown visible disappointment or frustration after making an off-target throw or mishandling a ball. Crawford’s defense has attracted enough negative attention that it’s even been the focus of various segments on the local talk radio stations; it’s fair to call it a noticeable issue.

But it’s not so simple as just pulling Crawford off the position that’s been his for as long as he’s been a Mariner. He’s the Mariners leader in games played at shortstop, surpassing Alex Rodriguez last season, and a future Mariners Hall of Famer. He’s the longest-tenured Mariner, the one they call “Captain,” the steady hand that’s overseen the transition of this team from rebuild to an ALCS appearance.

Now, it seems Crawford is prepared to enter a new phase of his Mariners tenure. If he does take over at third, it will be an echo of the start of his career, when Philadelphia tried to convert him from a primary shortstop to a hybrid shortstop-third baseman. Crawford struggled defensively in Philly, and later said that coming to Seattle to work with Perry Hill “saved his career.” Now, if Crawford transitions to third base, it will be his decision.

If he does take up the mantle at the hot corner, Crawford’s career as a Mariner will likely end mirroring the player who mentored him during his time, one of the best third baseman in Mariners history, Kyle Seager. It’s especially fitting because as Seager poured so much into Crawford as a young player, so does Crawford pay it forward with his young infielders Cole Young and Colt Emerson.

“J.P. is a selfless player,” said Dan Wilson. “He’ll go wherever anybody needs him to go.”

It’s getting to be that time for the pivotal third game of any four game series. The winner will be in the drivers seat for a series win while the loser will go into tomorrow’s game simply trying to salvage a split. I think we’re all hoping that Chris Sale and the Braves will be able to play themselves into the driver’s seat with a win this evening. We’ll just have to see how it all plays out. Come on down into the comments and join us, why don’t you?

• Preview
• Lineups
• Eli White activated from IL, José Azócar DFA’d

The Texas Rangers activated pitcher Luis Curvelo from the 15 day injured list and optioned him to AAA Round Rock, the team announced today.

Curvelo started the season in the minors, but was called up a little over a week into the season to join the Rangers’ bullpen. He was placed on the injured list on April 15, and was sent out on a rehab assignment with Round Rock on May 15. The Rangers have apparently decided they do not need him in the major league pen for the time being, so he is officially off the injured list and on the active roster for the Express.

With Chris Martin having been activated from the injured list yesterday, that leaves four pitchers on the major league injured list — lefthanded starting pitchers Cody Bradford and Jordan Montgomery, who are both on the 60 day injured list, and lefty reliever Robert Garcia and righthanded reliever Carter Baumler, who are both on the 15 day injured list.

Mets lineup

Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Mark Vientos – 1B
MJ Melendez – DH
Brett Baty – 3B
Marcus Semien – 2B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Hayden Senger – C

SP: Zach Thornton – LHP

Nationals lineup

James Wood – DH
Curtis Mead – 3B
Andres Chaparro – 1B
CJ Abrams – SS
Dylan Crews – RF
Daylen Lile – LF
Jacob Young – CF
Nasim Nunez – 2B
Keibert Ruiz – C

SP: Zack Littell – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 6:45pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

TV: NESN

First Pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET

The Red Sox are officially out of last place in the American League East and search for their second sweep of the season. Boston earned wins behind solid starts from Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez to start the series. On Wednesday night, Boston sends Connelly Early to the mound in the midst of a solid campaign. 

Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate Wednesday night.

Series finale 🔜 pic.twitter.com/PHSoEssWUQ

— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 20, 2026

The Royals counter with old friend Michael Wacha, who’s pitched well for Kansas City in 2026 to the tune of a 2.83 ERA in nine starts. 

Wacha Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/sbKf5mQvSg

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 20, 2026

The Mets bullpen should be getting reinforcement really soon.

Manager Carlos Mendoza spoke with the media ahead of Wednesday's game against the Nationals and gave an update on A.J. Minter, and the news is promising. 

"He’s going to pitch one more time in Syracuse, could be Saturday or Sunday, depending on how he recovers from the back-to-back," Mendoza said. "It’s a quick turnaround." 

Minter pitched Tuesday night for the Syracuse Mets and struck out one batter in his one inning of work. He was then asked to come in less than 24 hours later for Syracuse's 11 a.m. start and pitched 0.2 innings. He allowed a run on a hit, walk and a hit batter, raising his ERA to 2.70 in Triple-A. However, Mendoza is encouraged by Minter's ability to bounce back so soon.

"The fact that he pitched in an 11 o’clock game today. Shows you that he feels pretty good," Mendoza said. "One more over the weekend, hopefully and we’ll see if he’s in play for us when we get back from Miami."

In seven Triple-A appearances, Minter has allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out three across 6.2 innings.

The Mets will head to Miami after the end of the Nationals series on Thursday before heading home to take on the Reds. 

Updates on Polanco and Robert Jr.

Mendoza was asked about the progress of Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. and there wasn't much for the Mets skipper to give. 

While Robert Jr. remains shut down from all baseball-related activities, Polanco continues to do so and continues to take batting practice. 

Neither seems close to a return.

 

Wednesday notes…

• THAT THIRD GAME: The Cubs are 32-33 in third games of series at home vs. the Brewers. They are 14-20 after losing second games, including 6-7 after losing the first two. The Cubs last were swept by the Brewers at Wrigley Field on Aug. 10-12, 2021, in a four-game series that began with a doubleheader. This is their 10th series on the North Side since then. It is the second in which the Cubs lost the first two. They lost both games of a doubleheader May 30, 2022, then won the next two days. The Cubs last were swept in three games at home by the Brewers on Sept. 8-10, 2017, which was 20 series ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• RUNS ARE HARD TO COME BY: In their 2-8 funk, the Cubs have scored more than three runs only twice — and they lost one of those games, 9-8, on the South Side on Saturday. In their first 10-game winning streak, the Cubs scored at least four runs in nine games. In their second streak, they did it in eight of 10. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• AT LEAST ONE RELIEVER IS SOLID: Jacob Webb, last 12 games since April 19: 1.38 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 15 strikeouts and only three walks in 13 innings.
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Frank Castillo and three relievers allow four home runs to the Braves in an 18-1 loss in Atlanta. The team has given up that many runs or more only nine times since that game, which happened 30 years ago today, Monday, May 20, 1996.

Cubs lineup:

Your Wednesday night starters.

Tune in live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/jJyrNaxLni

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 20, 2026

Brewers lineup:

In the mood to sweep

📺: https://t.co/eycfmE2vgm
📻: WTMJ#ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/UiRGYuv8TI

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) May 20, 2026

Edward Cabrera, RHP vs. Kyle Harrison, LHP

Edward Cabrera was going along pretty well this year but his last two starts have been rough. His last start, in particular, was wrecked largely due to walks, which had been a concern in his time in Miami. Hopefully that won’t get worse as the season goes on.

His last start against the Brewers was July 6, 2025 in Miami. He allowed two runs in seven innings and struck out five. We’d take that tonight.

Kyle Harrison, originally a member of the Giants, went to the Red Sox in the Rafael Devers deal and then came to Milwaukee as part of a six-player trade in February.

He’s been very good for the Brewers, allowing no more than two runs in any of his eight starts. He has a good walk rate (just 8.1 percent) and he doesn’t allow the long ball (just three in 38.2 innings).

He has one career relief appearance against the Cubs — he was the guy who pitched the 11th inning May 6, 2025 after Ryan Pressly had that monstrously bad top of the 11th.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. If you do go there to interact with Brewers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Watching Sal Stewart struggle for the first time as a big leaguer was rough. After ripping through the month of April and taking home National League Rookie of the Month honors, May greeted him with a dose of what happens when big league pitchers and coaches finally get to scout you in detail via big league video evidence.

Across 17 games from April 29th through May 16th, Sal collected just 10 hits in 67 AB, smashing nary a homer and striking out twice as often (16 times) as he walked. He hit just .149/.240/.224 in that span, and there’s no coincidence that the Cincinnati Reds hitting a skid coincided with that.

The last week, though, has seen a much needed resurgence. He entered play on Wednesday in Philadelphia having been on-base multiple times in four straight games, and then erupted for a 4 for 5 day that saw him double, swat a late 2-run homer to put the game on ice, and score 3 times in the Reds 9-4 win over the Phillies. That earns him today’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game award, and deservedly so.

That homer flew 441 feet into the second deck in Philly, by the way.

First career 4-hit game for Sal Stewart 💣@stewart_salpic.twitter.com/RCb57pplIH

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 20, 2026

Sal even turned in a good defensive performance at the hot corner, making an acrobatic catch over the rail along the Reds dugout on a pop fly. It’s as if the Reds had no need to go acquire a different 3B last July after all!

The win secured a series victory for the Reds and pushed them back to a pair of games over the .500 mark at 26-24, and the club wrapped their two-city road trip with a .500 record after dropping the first series to the Guardians in Cleveland.

Sal backed Andrew Abbott, who turned in another solid performance in a string that’s been much, much more akin to what we’d come to know about him prior to his own April slump. Abbott fired 5.1 IP and allowed just 3 hits and 2 runs (one earned), dodging some early control problems – he walked the first two batters he faced in the game and the first one scored – to pour in a 96 pitch outing the Reds sorely needed. Brock Burke ran into some trouble when he took over, yielding a 2-run dinger to Edmundo Sosa, but the rest of the bullpen effort was nails in the form of scoreless frames by Connor Phillips, Graham Ashcraft, and Sam Moll.

Nathaniel Lowe helped Sal carry the offensive load on the day, swatting a pair of doubles and driving in a trio. Blake Dunn, who started against a RHP in the outfield as TJ Friedl continues to sit, doubled and tripled and scored twice. Even PJ Higgins chipped in with a pair of RBI singles as the Reds breezed on a rare day where Elly De La Cruz (0 for 5, 3 K) was off his best.

The Reds have the day off on Thursday, and on Friday they’ll begin a home series against their NL Central rivals from St. Louis. Chris Paddack is scheduled to get his second start since joining the Reds in the series opener in Great American Ball Park Thursday evening, with first pitch slated for 6:40 PM ET.

An errant pickoff throw by San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller allowed Los Angeles Dodgers pinch-runner Alex Call to move all the way to third base. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Andy Pages, securing the Dodgers a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the Padres.

After watching the replay, you see Miller threw the ball wide of Friars’ first baseman Ty France’s reach. What is more frustrating is that the righthander had Call dead to rights. The runner was two to three steps heading toward second base. Call froze on the base path before noticing the ball ricochet off France’s glove and roll down the right-field line.

Offensively, the Padres runs came on two two-run home runs by Manny Machado and Miguel Andujar. Machado’s blast came with two outs in the first inning. It was his seventh home run of the season. 

Andujar homered after Fernando Tatis Jr. walked in the third inning. It gave the Friars a 4-2 lead in the contest. 

Taking the mound

Shohei Ohtani (LAD) v. Randy Vasquez (SD)

Arguably, today’s late afternoon matchup could be a classic pitching duel. Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani has been the best starting pitcher in the National League over the first quarter of the 2026 season. 

In seven starts, Ohtani posted a 3-2 record with a 0.82 ERA. His dominance has been a life source for a starting rotation in shambles. Injuries to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have placed them on the injured list, and their return dates are unknown at this time.

Randy Vasquez has settled into the No.2 spot in the Padres’ starting rotation. He has a 5-1 record with a 2.68 ERA in nine starts this season. Vasquez has offered the Friars an opportunity to win each night he is on the mound. There are significant questions surrounding the state of the team’s rotation. Another quality start from Vasquez proves he is a reliable option moving forward.

Batter up!

1. 2B Fernando Tatis Jr.
2. DH Miguel Andujar
3. 1B Gavin Sheets
4. 3B Manny Machado
5. SS Xavier Bogaerts
6. CF Jackson Merrill
7. RF Nick Castellanos 
8. LF Ramon Laureano
9. C Freddy Fermin

Relief corps

Do not expect to see Miller tonight unless he must preserve another one-run lead. Bradgley Rodriquez and Jeremiah Estrada should not be available, as both have appeared in the first two games of the series. 

It leaves Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, and Wandy Peralta ready to pitch in high-leverage situations in the rubber game. 

The big news, this afternoon, is that Jose Berrios had full Tommy John surgery, so he’ll be out for a year at very least. The good news keeps coming. The told us yesterday that they were going to ‘remove loose bodies’ in his elbow and see what else needs fixing. I’m sure when Berrios woke up and was told they decided to do Tommy John surgery, since he was already on the operating table, it was a bit of a shock (I’m joking, I’m sure they wouldn’t do that without discussing it with him).

I don’t know why the team has been gaslighting us. They must have known he was getting TJ, so why not say it. Why pretend it was something minor when it wasn’t. Would telling us yesterday have been worse than telling us today. Are we going with ‘It’s not a lie if we know the truth’, as Donald Rumsfeld would have told us. Or something like that. Ask Matt.

This has been such a fun season.

---

I missed something yesterday. It happened in the hour and a half that I spent in a Rogers shop, trying to get a new phone. Something that you would think would take 10 minutes. Maybe 15? It wasn’t that I didn’t know what I wanted. I said “that one” within minutes of entering the store. An hour and a half later, and roughly 100 of my signatures, I walked out with ‘that one’.

I don’t know why it has to be so complicated.

Anyway, Joe Mantiply was put on the IL with left knee inflammation. He’s been excellent this seasons, with a 2.04 ERA in 17 appearances.

Chase Lee, who pitched yesterday, came up from Buffalo. He had a 1.83 ERA there. The AI summery of the deal, on Twitter, tells me that Lee’s fastball ‘touches 100 mph’. It doesn’t. It touches 90, maybe 91. He also has a sweeper and a changeup. He is a side arm pitcher

---

There maybe be other stuff going on, Rafael Lantigua, a right-handed hitting infielder, is in New York. Officially on the taxi squad but I can’t see any reason he would be there if he wasn’t going to be on the roster soon. He’s not hitting much in Buffalo, just .211/.312/.349 with 3 home runs, 16 walks and 30 strikeout in 35 games. He’s never played in the majors before.

Davis Schneider (53 OPS+) and Lenyn Sosa (40 OPS+) are hitting roughly what you or I would hit, but maybe the team has tired of one or the other.

---

Today’s lineup. I’m kind of grumpy about Springer at the top of the order, but then I don’t know who I’d put there. I guess Lips.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that pitching prospect Jonah Tongis "in play" to be called up to make his 2026 debut at some point during this weekend's series against the Miami Marlins.

Tong was scratched from his scheduled Wednesday start with Syracuse, which seemed to indicate a call-up would be happening soon.

"We’re keeping him in play," Mendoza said. "There’s a chance that he plays a part in the Miami series for us. We’ve got to get through today. We’ve got to get through tomorrow, and then we’ll go from there. But we want to keep him in play in case there’s a need here."

Mendoza said earlier this week that Tong was in consideration to get called up when the club called up Zach Thornton, who will make his season debut on Wednesday night.

The 22-year-old right-hander has been hit hard at Syracuse this season, pitching to a 5.68 ERA. But he's also struck out a whopping 55 hitters in just 38.0 innings. 

Tong had a brief stint with the Mets at the end of the 2025 season, making five starts while pitching to a 7.71 ERA. 

And while those numbers don't seem like much to write home about, Mendoza said the club still believes in Tong, and they like his ability to put a poor outing behind him.

"There’s no denying that he’s been inconsistent, but we also like how he bounces back," Mendoza said. "We saw it last year when he was here with us. He had a couple of tough outings and he was able to recover for the next one, so we’re not too worried about that. That’s why he’s in play. We believe, we’re high on him, and we’ve been saying it, he’s going to help us. Here he is, waiting for his opportunity, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to come here soon."