The New York Mets recalled right-hander Jonah Tong, ranked as the organization’s No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and designated veteran closer Craig Kimbrel for assignment in a corresponding move on Friday.
Tong, 22, was called up from Triple-A Syracuse before the Mets opened a three-game series at the Miami Marlins. A seventh-round pick of the Mets in the 2022 MLB Draft, Tong debuted last season, posting a 2-3 record and 7.71 ERA in five starts.
The Mets may opt to use the Canadian native in a bulk role Friday after Tobias Myers starts the game.
Tong entered Friday tied for sixth in the minors in strikeouts (55) after finishing first (179) last season. In nine starts for Syracuse this season, he is 1-3 with a 5.68 ERA.
Kimbrel, who turns 38 on Thursday, had a 6.00 ERA in 14 outings for the Mets after signing a minor-league deal in January.
Kimbrel ranks fifth all-time with 440 career saves. He led the National League in saves in four straight seasons with the Atlanta Braves, starting with his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2011.
He tallied 39 saves for the San Diego Padres in 2015 and recorded more than 30 saves in three straight seasons for the Boston Red Sox (2016-18) before his performance started to decline.
He bounced around with seven major league teams over the past seven seasons. Last season, Kimbrel pitched in 42 minor league games for the Braves, Texas Rangers and Houston Astros organizations and made just 14 appearances in the majors, 13 coming with Houston and one with Atlanta.
Overall, he is 56-50 with a 2.65 ERA in 865 career relief appearances.
