'Dominating' prospect Tong to join Mets rotation

NEW YORK -- The Mets are calling up top pitching prospect Jonah Tong, manager Carlos Mendoza announced Tuesday, as the club continues to bolster its staff with young talent for the stretch run.

Mendoza said Tong will start against the Miami Marlins on Friday in his major league debut.

"I think it's all about dominating the minors," Mendoza said. "It's hard to keep him there."

Tong is 10-5 with a 1.43 ERA in 113⅔ innings across 22 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this season. He was recently promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, where he tossed 11⅔ scoreless innings over two outings.

The 22-year-old right-hander represented the Mets at the Futures Game last month. The Canadian was a seventh-round pick out of high school in 2022.

Tong follows Nolan McLean, another top pitching prospect who was called up to boost the Mets' struggling rotation earlier this month.