Mets Morning News: Tong is back, bats are not

May 22, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Jonah Tong (21) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Meet the Mets In the series opener against the Marlins, the Mets got some fairly strong pitching performances from the trio of Tobias Myers, Sean Manaea, and Jonah Tong (who tossed three scoreless innings in his first major league outing of 2026). Unfortunately, aside from a very impressive solo homer from Juan Soto in the first, the bats couldn’t get anything working against the Miami pitching staff, leading to a 2-1 loss.

Choose your recap : Amazin’ Avenue , NY Post , Daily News , MLB. com Tong’s return meant that another pitcher had to get cut from the active roster, and it was veteran Craig Kimbrel who ended up getting the boot . Carlos Mendoza expressed admiration for Kimbrel following the decision, but his lengthy track record was not enough to save him .

The loss was disappointing, but Tong’s outing was nevertheless encouraging . After last night’s game, The Athletic reported that Tong would be getting another outing for the Mets , and that they would also be calling up reliever Jonathan Pintaro shortly. Kodai Senga made a rehab outing last night as he seeks to return to the major league pitching staff.

The Baby Mets continue to get opportunities, as all three of the team’s rookie outfielders started last night . While the team may have lost last night, they may also be beginning to find their identity . Howie Rose got to accomplish one of his dreams.