The New York Mets’ third-ranked prospect, right-hander Jonah Tong, was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday morning after making two starts during spring training. Tong gave up four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings while striking out five batters. The Mets want Tong to keep improving and honing his secondary pitches. However, injuries happen frequently throughout the course of a lengthy, demanding season, particularly one with 162 games. Tong will therefore probably be given several chances over the regular season.
Mets Option Top Pitching Prospect Jonah Tong to Triple-A
After hearing the news, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stated, “He’s going to continue to work on his pitches, especially the secondary pitches.” He will make a pitch on our behalf. He will go down there and continue to grow and work on various things, and he plays a significant role in what we are attempting to accomplish here.
Tong will join right-handers Dylan Ross and Jonathan Pintaro, as well as recently demoted Nick Morabito, who was added to the 40-man roster to shield him from the Rule 5 Draft. Jack Wenninger, a righty, was also moved to minor league camp.
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The Mets’ top-ranked position prospect, Carson Benge, is enjoying a successful spring. The 23-year-old is one of the contenders for the right field spot on the club. In 23 Grapefruit League at-bats thus far, he is hitting.391/.440/.478 with a.918 OPS. Benge seems certain to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster if he continues to play at his current level.
Mendoza declared, “I want him to continue being Carson Benge.” “I want him to keep having strong at-bats. You can see some of the tools and skills we frequently discuss about him. His ability to put the ball in play and utilize the entire field
During a live press conference on Monday, Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns stated, “He’s taken very competitive at-bats.” He is a rough guy. He’s played a nice right field, in my opinion. He has fulfilled our expectations. We believe he will be a very excellent player, and as camp draws to a close, we will have to make a tough choice.
Over the previous few weeks, Francisco Lindor’s recuperation following hamate surgery has improved. He is probably going to start on Opening Day at this pace. Lindor made progress toward a return on Tuesday while practicing ground ball fielding in the backfields.
Luis Robert Jr. is expected to participate in his first Grapefruit League game on Thursday, according to Mendoza.
