At least for the time being, the New York Mets rotation will follow the status quo. Manager Carlos Mendoza was vague about Jonah Tong’s spot after he gave up six runs in ⅔ of an inning against the Texas Rangers in his third major league appearance. When asked before Saturday’s 3-2 loss if the 22-year-old would stay in the rotation, he replied, “Right now, he is.” However, as per a Mets insider, it could go wrong.

For the record, currently Tong is 1-2 with an 8.49 ERA since being called up. ‘Locked on Mets’ podcast host Ryan Finkelstein laid out his stance on Tong after the Mets’ 8-3 meltdown to the Rangers. “As much as Jonah Tong had a nightmare of a start, it’s not his fault because he shouldn’t really be up in the big leagues.” He said. Apparently, Tong was visibly emotional in the postgame media availability after the game. He couldn’t even manage to get out of the first inning against Texas. He’s the same guy who had a 1.59 ERA across 20 starts in the minor leagues.

“The only reason why he came up is because the veterans have been so bad. Kodai Senga is the perfect example of that. There is no reason why Kodai Senga should be making starts in triple-A. But he was so bad that they thought this was the best way to get him back on track.” Finkelstein said. On the same day of the Mets’ meltdown, Senga allowed one run over six innings with Triple-A Syracuse.

With Tong’s struggles and Senga’s absence, he called on the Mets to do the obvious. “So that’s what I think the Mets are going to do. I think Senga is going to come back, and I think you send Tong down.” The right-hander is currently 7-6 with a 3.02 ERA. The former ace is not eligible to return to the major leagues until September 20. However, when he does, Finkelstein insisted that the Mets should insert him back in and send Tong down.

Senga’s extended struggles in the majors led to the decision to option him to Triple-A. Now that his Friday outing turned out to be decent, he could likely return to the lineup as soon as he is eligible.

Mets’ manager Carlos Mendoza’s plan for Kodai Senga

The Mets continued their recent run of underwhelming performances, going down 3-2 against the Rangers. With a 76-73 record, the team has lost eight consecutive games, with fans demanding that manager Carlos Mendoza step down. Now, with his options running out, Mendoza’s last throw of the dice can be to bring back Kodai Senga. Asked about his outing with Syracuse, Mendoza felt “it was very good.”

The 32-year-old had recorded an MLB-best 1.47 ERA through his first 13 starts. However, he hasn’t been the same on the mound since returning from a right hamstring injury back in mid-July. The veteran was understandably sent down on September 5 with the hope that he could rediscover his early-season form.

The Mets have an off-day on Monday. They could utilize it to decide their ultimate starting rotation. Currently, they have Sean Manea, David Paterson, Clay Holmes, and three rookies—Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat.

For now, Senga is expected to make at least one more start in Triple-A before the Mets conclude his role for the remaining games. It is looking increasingly likely that Senga was recalled to the first team on 20th September after his 15-day period ends. It remains to be seen if he will be able to rediscover his form and power the Mets through to the playoffs.