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Mets Notes: Tong, Duran, Siri

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There is some feeling within the Mets organization that right-handed pitching prospect Jonah Tong could make his MLB debut before the 2025 season is up, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.  Tong only just made his debut with Triple-A Syracuse on August 16 and hadn’t been projected as “a consideration for the Major League roster this year,” Puma writes, but “that stance has changed in recent days.”

The shift is due to both the Mets’ rotation needs, and Tong’s continued excellence in his third pro season.  A seventh-round pick for New York in the 2022 draft, Tong has emerged as a top-100 prospect — Baseball America has the right-hander 42nd on their midseason top 100 list, and MLB Pipeline has Tong in their 44nd spot.  It is easy to see why, as Tong has an absurd 1.43 ERA and 40.5% strikeout rate over 113 2/3 combined innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2025.  That includes 11 2/3 scoreless innings during his brief time in Syracuse.

Naturally there’s some risk in bringing the 22-year-old up to the Show in such relatively rapid fashion, and Tong’s 10.6% walk rate stands out as a potential weakness to be exploited by big league hitters.  That said, Tong’s unusual delivery could also leave some hitters baffled, not to mention his plus fastball that has a ton of break if relatively little velocity (in the 91-94mph range).

Promoting Tong doesn’t necessarily mean he’d be in the majors for the rest of the season, of course, as the Mets could potentially use him for a spot start during a crowded stretch of the schedule.  New York is six games into a stretch of 26 games in 27 days, with September 4 as the only off-day during that stretch.  This puts even more pressure on a rotation that hasn’t provided much in the way of length or results lately, and the Mets already turned to another rookie in Nolan McLean to take Frankie Montas’ rotation spot earlier this month.

At this point it wouldn’t be a shock to see McLean, Tong, and another top prospect in Brandon Sproat all get onto the mound before the Mets’ season is over.  This need for help from the farm (in addition to any club’s natural reticence about moving top prospects) may have been a reason why the Amazins didn’t make much progress in trade talks with the Twins about Jhoan Duran.

The Mets were loosely linked to Duran’s market just prior to the trade deadline, and the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that the Mets weren’t willing to move any of McLean, Tong, Sproat, Jett Williams, or Carson Benge.  This quintet are the consensus top prospects within New York’s farm system, and Baseball America has all five players within their league-wide top-100 prospects list.  Minnesota was known to be seeking at least one top-100 type for Duran’s services, and found such an offer from another NL East club in the Phillies, who landed Duran for Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel.

Duran has looked excellent in Philadelphia, while the Mets have gotten mixed result from their deadline bullpen acquisitions.  Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto have both pitched well since coming to Queens, but Ryan Helsley has struggled badly.  Shaky pitching on both the bullpen and rotation has contributed to the Mets’ 7-13 record in August, and the Phillies have pulled out to a six-game lead over New York in the NL East.

In other Mets news, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) on Wednesday that Jose Siri is expected to start a minor league rehab assignment this week.  Siri fractured his left tibia after fouling a ball off his leg back in April, and what was expected to be an absence of 8-10 weeks has now lasted well over four months.  Since he played in only 10 games with the Mets before the injury, Siri figures to need at least a week of minor league action to get fully ramped up for a return to the active roster.

This makes him a candidate for an IL activation once rosters expand on September 1, though Siri will be returning to a more crowded outfield picture.  New York went into the season planning to use Siri and Tyrone Taylor in a center field timeshare, but the deadline acquisition of Cedric Mullins has now created a more traditional lefty-righty platoon up the middle with Taylor.  A player with Siri’s elite glove always has value on a roster, of course, so the Mets could use him as something of a defensive specialist if nothing else.

Frankie Montas Done For 2025 Due To “Pretty Significant” UCL Injury

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4:13pm: Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including Mike Puma of the New York Post) that Montas’s UCL injury is “pretty significant.” Mendoza went on to confirm that Montas will not pitch again in 2025.

2:21pm: The Mets announced that Frankie Montas has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 22) due to a UCL-related injury in his right elbow.  Right-hander Huascar Brazoban has been called up from Triple-A to take Montas’ spot on the active roster.

It’s the latest setback in what was been a brutal inaugural season for Montas in Queens. The right-hander signed a $34MM guarantee with the Mets during the winter but has produced just 38 2/3 innings of work for the team so far. A lat strain suffered at the outset of Spring Training left Montas to open the season on the injured list and he did not make his season debut until June 24. After throwing five scoreless innings in his first start of the year, Montas pitched to a ghastly 7.85 ERA over his next six starts with an 18.2% strikeout rate and a whopping seven home runs allowed. Those brutal results led the Mets to move Montas to the bullpen earlier this month, where he’s surrendered four runs (two earned) on four walks and six hits (including a home run) while striking out just three.

Altogether, Montas has posted a 6.28 ERA and a 5.31 FIP during his time with the Mets with an 18.0% strikeout rate and a 7.9% walk rate. It’s a deeply disappointing outcome, and now it’s an open question when Montas will next be available to pitch. The Mets have made no announcements about the right-hander’s timeline for return, nor offered any indications about the severity of the injury. Of course, many fans will wonder about the possibility of Tommy John surgery, which is often required to repair a pitcher’s UCL once damaged. Such a procedure (or even a less-invasive internal brace procedure) would likely cost Montas not only the remainder of this year but also the entire 2026 season. With that being said, some UCL injuries are possible to address via rehab. That’s a path that Braves hurler Grant Holmes opted to take earlier this month as he deals with a partial UCL tear, though even Holmes’s rehab process has brought his 2025 campaign to an abrupt end.

While the details of Montas’s prognosis and timeline for return won’t be clear until the Mets make an announcement offering more information, the club will be without the right-hander for at least the immediate future. Given the fact that Montas’s performance was poor enough that he was bumped from the rotation earlier this month, perhaps that’s not too massive of a blow. Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, and Clay Holmes remain in the club’s rotation and have recently been joined by top prospect Nolan McLean. Brandon Waddell and Justin Hagenman remain in the minors already on the 40-man roster as potential depth options behind that group, and well-regarded prospect Brandon Sproat has a 4.24 ERA in 24 starts at Triple-A this year.

Replacing Montas on the roster is Brazoban, who began his career in the majors with Miami back in 2022 but has served as an up-and-down relief arm for the Mets this year. It’s a role he’s performed quite well in, with a 3.83 ERA and 4.14 FIP across 51 2/3 innings of work spread between 3 starts and 41 relief outings. Brazoban figures to take up Montas’s mantle as the club’s long reliever going forward.

Mets, Ali Sanchez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mets are in agreement with catcher Ali Sánchez on a minor league contract, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. He’d elected free agency after being outrighted by the Red Sox.

It was only a matter of hours before Sánchez found a new landing spot. The Mets placed Francisco Alvarez on the injured list this week. He’s dealing with a thumb injury that’ll require surgery at some point, though he and the team are holding out hope that can be delayed until the offseason. That leaves them with a catching duo of Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger.

Torrens had his own brief injury scare on Wednesday after being struck on the glove hand by a swing in a catcher’s interference. He was able to finish the game and said afterwards that he believes he’s avoided any real injury, though he conceded he felt some soreness while gripping the bat (link via Tom Hanslin of SNY).

Senger started yesterday and is back in the lineup tonight. Torrens is capable of playing. Otherwise, the Mets would’ve made a roster move for another catcher in case Senger is knocked out of the game early. It nevertheless highlights how tenuous their catching depth is after the Alvarez injury. Neither of their current Triple-A catchers, Matt O’Neill and Onix Vega, appear to be viable big league options. Sánchez would very likely be the next man up if Torrens or Senger requires an injured list stint.

The 28-year-old Sánchez played in the Mets’ farm system between 2014-20. He had a very brief big league stint five years ago and was traded to the Cardinals during the 2020-21 offseason. He has since been a member of seven different organizations, reaching the big leagues with four of them. He’s a .185/.222/.235 hitter in 47 career MLB contests. It’s a very light bat, but Sánchez has a solid defensive reputation that makes him a capable third or fourth catcher on the depth chart.

Paul Blackburn Clears Release Waivers

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Right-hander Paul Blackburn has cleared release waivers and is now free to sign with any club, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The Mets designated him for assignment on Saturday and it was later reported that he had been placed on release waivers.

It’s not a shock that Blackburn has gone unclaimed. He is making $4.05MM this year, leaving close to $900K still to be paid out. That’s more than some pitchers get for a full season, so it would be a notable amount for the final few weeks of the campaign. Blackburn has also been largely injured this year, only pitching in seven games with a 6.85 earned run average.

Now that he has cleared waivers, it’s possible clubs give him a call. The Mets will remain on the hook for the majority of what remains of his salary. A club could sign Blackburn and only pay him the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum for any time spent on the roster, which would be less than $4K per day. Any amount paid by another club would be subtracted from what the Mets pay.

Blackburn hasn’t been in amazing form this year. He started the season on the injured list due to inflammation in his right knee. He was activated in June but a shoulder impingement put him back on the shelf. As mentioned, he has posted a 6.85 ERA around those IL stints.

However, he is stretched out and was in good form during his rehab assignment, which could appeal to clubs needing innings. He started a rehab assignment in July and his final four rehab outings were Triple-A games where he went five innings or more. He had a 2.42 ERA, 18.3% strikeout rate and 4.3% walk rate in those. He was then reinstated from the IL and tossed five innings of long relief against Atlanta on August 13th, allowing two earned runs. He was designated for assignment shortly thereafter.

While it’s not been a great season overall, Blackburn has some major league success. From 2022 to 2024, he tossed a combined 290 1/3 innings with a 4.43 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 44.8% ground ball rate. It’s been a challenging year but he is stretched out and has been putting up decent numbers over the past month. Since he is basically free, it’s possible some club takes a chance on him, especially with the inherent difficulties of adding impact talent after the trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images

Francisco Alvarez Could Play Through Thumb Injury But Will Require Surgery Eventually

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The Mets placed catcher Francisco Alvarez on the 10-day injured list earlier today with a right thumb UCL sprain, announcing that he will be evaluated again in 10 to 14 days. Manager Carlos Mendoza later provided more information to reporters, including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alvarez will require surgery at some point but the Mets are going to see if he can play through it before going under the knife. If he can’t play through it a few weeks from now, he could be done for the year.

It seems that the Mets and Alvarez are in a weird limbo area due to the calendar. Andy Martino of SNY relays that the typical recovery time for this thumb surgery is six to seven weeks. If he were to have it done now, it would essentially end his season.

The Mets are battling for a playoff spot and will instead see if Alvarez can be a factor for them later in the year. It might not work out but it doesn’t appear there’s a serious downside. Even if the surgery is delayed until the offseason, Alvarez should have time to recover for a normal offseason and be ready for spring training.

Alvarez struggled earlier this year and got optioned down to the minors for a spell. Since coming back up, he has been on a tear. His recent hot streak has brought his season-long line up to .265/.349/.438, which translates to a 126 wRC+.

As Alvarez has been hot, the club has been cold. The Mets have been sliding in the standings and their 66-58 record has them barely hanging onto a playoff spot, just one game up on the Reds. If there’s a chance of getting Alvarez back in the lineup for a few weeks, it’s understandable that they would try, especially when considering the alternatives. Luis Torrens is hitting .214/.280/.301 this year while Hayden Senger has a .174/.208/.196 line.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images

Mets Place Francisco Alvarez On Injured List

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2:45pm: Alvarez is now officially on the IL due to a right thumb sprain with Senger recalled. The Mets say Alvarez will be further evaluated in 10-14 days.

11:13am: The Mets will place catcher Francisco Alvarez on the injured list today due to his right thumb injury, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. An exact diagnosis isn’t clear just yet, but Alvarez exited Sunday’s game early after injuring his hand on a slide into second base. Manager Carlos Mendoza noted that night that Alvarez was headed for an MRI to evaluate the extent of the injury (link via The Athletic’s Tim Britton).

Losing Alvarez for any period of time is a crushing blow to a flailing Mets club that has come out of the All-Star break with an 11-16 record — including just a 4-11 mark in August. The 23-year-old backstop has been the team’s hottest hitter after a monthlong reset in Triple-A. He’s come to the plate 71 times since being recalled on July 21 and turned in a brilliant .323/.406/.645 batting line (193 wRC+) with four homers, six doubles and a triple.

With Alvarez out for at least the next nine days — his stint can be backdated to Monday — the Mets will have to lean on backup Luis Torrens and rookie Hayden Senger behind the dish. It’s a notable offensive downgrade, with Torrens hitting just .214/.280/.301 in 225 plate appearances this season and Senger carrying a .174/.208/.196 slash in 49 plate appearances as a 28-year-old rookie.

Alvarez missed significant time in 2023 with a thumb injury, though that was due to a ligament tear in his other (left) thumb. He’s also missed time due to a fractured hamate in his left wrist. While it’s perhaps the smallest of silver linings that this latest injury didn’t occur in the same hand that’s already caused him to miss significant action on two separate occasions, his absence will be prominently felt.

Poll: Can The Mets Hang On To A Playoff Spot?

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It’s been a rough few weeks for the Mets. While they managed to take two of three in their series against the Mariners this weekend, it was their first series win since they swept the Giants all the way back on the weekend of July 25. Since then, New York has gone just 4-14 and not only fallen five games back of the Phillies in the NL East, but is getting challenged by the insurgent Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot. Despite that brutal stretch of play in recent weeks, this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. While the club was at one point up 5.5 games in the division, that was nearly two months ago at this point. They’ve gone 21-34 since then, good for a .318 winning percentage that falls between the full-season figures posted by the White Sox (.355) and Rockies (.282).

That makes the final six weeks of the regular season more important for the Mets than their fans could’ve imagined during their strong first half. The question for the Mets is less about the possibility of an NL East title and a bye through the Wild Card round at this point, and more about if they’ll be able to squeak into the postseason at all. The club attempted to break into what, at the time, looked to be a fairly wide-open race for a bye to the NLDS when they made a number of aggressive, buy-side trades in the run-up to the trade deadline.

Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Gregory Soto joined Edwin Diaz at the back of what was expected to become the most fearsome bullpen in the league, and Cedric Mullins was brought in to plug the one hole on the team’s roster. The results of those trades have been mixed to this point, Soto (8 1/3 scoreless innings) and Rogers (1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings) have both excelled to this point, but Helsley has struggled to an ugly 7.11 ERA in eight appearances for the Mets so far, with four additional unearned runs allowed as well. Meanwhile, Mullins has a paltry .255 on-base percentage with a 29.1% strikeout rate since arriving in the Big Apple.

Perhaps the failings of Helsley and Mullins in their first few games with the team could be overlooked if the rest of the team was performing better, but the club’s internal core hasn’t exactly impressed lately either. Only six teams in baseball have scored fewer runs than the Mets since June 13, and while the offense has picked things up in recent weeks (124 wRC+ in August) their run prevention has taken a nosedive. Only four teams (Marlins, Pirates, Nationals, and Rockies) have allowed more runs to score than the Mets since the start of August, and the decision not to bring in a starter at the deadline is looking particularly disastrous given the club’s rotation has put together a brutal 6.23 ERA in the weeks following the end of trade season.

Bleak as things have looked in recent weeks, however, that shouldn’t be taken to mean there’s no reason for optimism. After all, the Mets are still in playoff position even after all of those struggles. Only Cincinnati has a record above .500 among NL clubs not currently in playoff position, meaning the Mets are in a much more comfortable spot than they would be if they were in the AL, where teams like the Royals and Guardians are sticking around the periphery of the Wild Card race with solid records. While the Reds (36-30 since the start of June) have looked good lately thanks to a fantastic rotation, their offense hasn’t looked especially threatening at any point in the year. Mets superstars Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are both firing on all cylinders offensively in recent weeks, by contrast, and that could help stave off Cincinnati unless the Reds’ bats get going.

Even if the Reds stick around in the race long-term, it’s at least possible that another team in the NL playoff picture could start to struggle. The Cubs have scored the fewest runs in baseball since July 1 after starting the year as an offensive juggernaut. With pitchers like Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd reaching uncharted territory in terms of workload and a big series against Milwaukee this week, their currently stable position in the NL playoff picture could look much less secure in a hurry. The Phillies, meanwhile, lost Zack Wheeler for an uncertain amount of time over the weekend. While Aaron Nola returned from the shelf to replace him in the rotation, his first start back (six earned runs surrendered in 2 1/3 innings to the lowly Nationals) didn’t exactly inspire confidence.

How do MLBTR readers view the Mets’ hopes of making a second consecutive postseason appearance this year? Will they be able to hold on despite their recent struggles, or will the rest of the NL playoff field manage to push them out? Have your say in the poll below:

Mets Place Paul Blackburn On Release Waivers

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The Mets have requested unconditional release waivers on right-hander Paul Blackburn, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post. Blackburn was designated for assignment on Saturday when the Mets called up Nolan McLean.

A release was a likely outcome once Blackburn was bumped from the 40-man roster. With the deadline having passed, a trade was not a possibility. The Mets could have opted for outright waivers but Blackburn has five-plus years of service time, meaning he has the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while retaining his remaining salary commitments. The Mets have skipped that formality and put Blackburn on release waivers instead.

It doesn’t seem especially likely that any club would claim him. Blackburn is making $4.05MM this year, which leaves about $900K still to be paid out. That’s not a massive sum relative to season-long MLB payrolls but would be a decent amount for just a few weeks of work. Blackburn has spent most of this season on the injured list and has a 6.85 earned run average in the seven appearances he has made, which should tamp down the interest.

If he clears waivers, the Mets will remain on the hook for the money. Any other club could sign Blackburn and would only have to pay him the prorated version of the $760K league minimum salary. That would be about $150K or so if Blackburn gets a spot somewhere quick and holds it for the rest of the year, far less than the amount required to claim him off waivers. Any amount paid by another club would be subtracted from what the Mets pay.

As mentioned, Blackburn has been injured and not terribly effective this year, but the sample size is small. Injury absences are nothing new for him, as he’s actually never even thrown 112 innings in a big league season. However, the results have occasionally been decent. From 2022 to 2024, he tossed a combined 290 1/3 innings with a 4.43 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 44.8% ground ball rate.

His 2025 hasn’t been at that level but team may overlook that. Adding to a roster is tough now that the trade deadline has passed, yet teams always need arms as injuries pop up. Blackburn has some decent results on his track record and will be essentially free.

Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images

Mets To Designate Paul Blackburn For Assignment

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The Mets are going to designate right-hander Paul Blackburn for assignment, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. That will be the corresponding move for the promotion of Nolan McLean, a move that was previously reported.

Blackburn was acquired by the Mets at last year’s trade deadline. At the time, the Mets had lost both Kodai Senga and Christian Scott to the injured list and suddenly needed a bit of rotation depth. He made five starts for the Mets before he himself required a stint on the injured list. He hit the IL due to a right hand contusion. While on the IL, it was reported that he was dealing with a spinal fluid leak in his back. He didn’t make it back off the IL. He underwent a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak repair procedure in October.

Despite the rough landing in Queens, the Mets tendered him a contract for 2025, his final arb season before reaching free agency. The Mets seemed interested in stockpiling rotation depth. They signed Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning, adding to a rotation mix which already included Senga, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Blackburn. The Mets and Blackburn avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $4.05MM salary for this year.

Unfortunately, it has turned into another season marred by injuries and the Mets seemingly never had much interest in putting him back into the rotation. He likely would have been off the roster long ago if not for other injuries, both to himself and others.

Blackburn started the season on the IL due to inflammation in his right knee. He was rehabbing throughout May, before being reinstated from the injured list in early June. By the middle of June, there was reporting that the Mets were fielding trade interest in Blackburn. At the time, they had a rotation of Senga, Peterson, Holmes, Canning and Megill, with both Montas and Manaea on rehab assignments. Blackburn appeared to be surplus to requirements. But moments after that report came out, Senga got injured and landed on the IL. Megill went on the shelf not long after.

That opened a window for Blackburn to stick around, but then he himself hit the IL again in early July due to a right shoulder impingement. He began a rehab assignment in the middle of July and got up to five innings by his second outing. But the Mets didn’t have a rotation spot for him behind Senga, Manaea, Holmes, Peterson and Montas. They let Blackburn throw a few more rehab starts, perhaps because they just wanted to keep him around in case someone else got injured.

In recent days, Montas was moved to the bullpen to open a rotation spot for McLean. Blackburn was reinstated from the IL and put in the bullpen as well. He tossed five innings of long relief on Wednesday after Peterson couldn’t get through the fourth inning. Now, he’s been bumped off the 40-man entirely.

This move ends a strange Mets tenure for Blackburn. He was technically with the club for over a year but only made 12 appearances in orange and blue. It often seemed like the Mets were on the verge of nudging him out the door before it finally happened.

He now heads into DFA limbo. With the trade deadline having passed, he will have to be placed on waivers. There is just under $1MM left to be paid out on his salary. His frequent injuries likely hurt his chances of being claimed, though he has had some decent results when healthy. With the Athletics in 2022 and 2023, he tossed a combined 215 innings with a 4.35 earned run average. His 20.7% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 44.5% ground ball rate were all fairly close to league averages.

Those cromulent results surely attracted the Mets in the first place but he wasn’t spared the injury bug even in those campaigns. Issues with his right middle finger prevented him from surpassing 115 innings in either of those seasons.

Still, decent starting pitching is hard to find after the deadline, so perhaps Blackburn will find some interest. If he clears waivers, the Mets will remain on the hook for the rest of his salary. At that point, another club could sign him and pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Mets pay.

Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images

Rafael Ortega Opts Out Of Mets Deal

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Veteran outfielder Rafael Ortega triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Mets and was granted his release, MLBTR has learned. He’s a free agent who can sign with any club.

The 34-year-old Ortega signed a minor league deal with the Mets in the offseason, kicking off his second stint with the team. He also spent the 2023 campaign with the Mets, hitting .219/.341/.272 in 136 big league plate appearances and .230/.379/.398 in 140 Triple-A plate appearances.

Ortega has picked up more than three years of major league service time and played in parts of eight big league seasons. He’s a career .245/.322/.349 hitter in 1301 plate appearances as a big leaguer, highlighted by a 2021-22 run with the Cubs that saw him slash .265/.344/.408 (110 wRC+) in semi-regular action (701 plate appearances over 221 games).

Ortega has spent the majority of the current season on the injured list due to a significant hamstring strain. He went on a low-level rehab stint in late July and was activated on the Triple-A roster earlier this month. He started only four of the nine games for the Mets’ Triple-A Syracuse club since his reinstatement, however, and received 18 total plate appearances in that time. Top outfield prospect Carson Benge’s recent promotion to Syracuse would surely further reduce Ortega’s playing opportunities, so he’ll return to the open market in search of a new landing spot.

In parts of 10 seasons at the Triple-A level, Ortega is a .286/.370/.446 hitter. He’s a left-handed bat who can handle all three outfield positions. He’ll be an option for any club looking for some experienced outfield depth.

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