Jonah Tong Joins Mets Rotation; Jefry Yan Optioned After 9-5 Loss

The New York Mets are promoting 23-year-old Jonah Tong to start Monday in Miami while optioning viral reliever Jefry Yan to Triple-A Syracuse.

Jonah Tong will rejoin the New York Mets starting rotation on Monday for a matchup against the Miami Marlins. The 23-year-old right-hander, ranked as the organization’s No. 2 prospect by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, is slated to remain in the rotation for the final weeks of the season. This move follows a Triple-A Syracuse stint where Tong went 5-6 with a 4.54 ERA across 23 starts. Recently, the righty allowed just two runs over his previous 21 1/3 innings and posted a 4-1 record with a 3.00 ERA during his last 10 outings.

Interim manager Andy Green confirmed that the club intends to hand the ball to Tong consistently through the end of the year. The promotion comes after Tong nearly completed a seven-inning no-hitter on Aug. 29, falling just one out short. Earlier in the summer, on July 30, he contributed to a combined no-hitting effort. Tong previously appeared for the Mets between May 22 and June 2, recording a 3.60 ERA in three relief appearances while issuing seven walks across 10 innings. During his 2025 debut against Miami, he surrendered one earned run in five innings, though he finished that season 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA in five starts.

Roster Moves and Bullpen Adjustments

To make room for new arms, the Mets optioned reliever Jefry Yan to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. Yan, known for viral celebrations where he jumps with feet spread and slaps the mound with his left hand, exits with a 1-1 record and a 5.68 ERA in 13 appearances. His most recent outing on Saturday saw him surrender a two-run home run to Osleivis Basabe during the eighth inning of a 9-5 defeat against the San Francisco Giants. Despite the high ERA, Yan struck out 17 batters in 12 2/3 innings of work.

Tobias Myers has been recalled to replace Yan on the active roster. Myers, who was acquired from Milwaukee in January alongside Freddy Peralta, currently holds an 0-2 record with a 6.26 ERA in 26 appearances. His last major league outing occurred on July 11 against the Boston Red Sox. The bullpen reshuffling follows a trade deadline that saw veteran relievers Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver sent to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively.

A Youthful Starting Rotation

Tong’s inclusion solidifies a young pitching staff that features Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton. The Mets currently sit in a position to evaluate their prospects after missing the postseason by a single game last year, despite being 19 games over .500 in mid-June. Tong expressed excitement for the opportunity on Sunday, specifically noting the potential to pitch in the upcoming Subway Series at Yankee Stadium next weekend.

Addressing his previous struggles, Tong stated that failure is inevitable and viewed his past 7.71 ERA as a series of lessons to be learned. Manager Andy Green noted that while Yan showed the ability to punch out big league hitters, his future success depends on his ability to fill the strike zone more consistently. The Mets concluded their three-game series with the Giants on Sunday before heading to Miami for Tong's scheduled start.