Mets DFA – New York designated Craig Kimbrel for assignment on May 22 and recalled pitching prospect Jonah Tong as the Mets try to steady a struggling rotation during a grueling stretch. Kimbrel, 38 on May 28, has pitched twice since May 15 and posted a 6.00 ERA in 14 ap
The bullpen clock had started ticking before Friday even arrived. The Mets had already been playing 17 consecutive days, and the pitching staff still couldn’t find consistent footing—so New York moved quickly, designating Craig Kimbrel for assignment on Friday, May 22.
The decision didn’t come with a surprise twist in timing. but it did make the message unmistakable: Kimbrel. who turns 38 on May 28. wouldn’t be part of the next phase. New York also recalled starting pitcher Jonah Tong. signaling the Mets want whatever remains of their momentum to show up on the mound. not in the shuffle.
Kimbrel’s usage made the picture clear. The veteran right-hander has pitched just twice since May 15. and his recent Mets work hasn’t generated the kind of reliability New York has typically leaned on from closers. He signed a minor-league deal with New York in the offseason and was added to the roster in April. but posted a 6.00 ERA in 14 appearances.
Even so, the Mets aren’t starting from zero. After a disastrous start. they’ve partially corrected course by winning 12 of their past 19 games to reach the 50-game mark at 22-28. Still. for a club trying to translate wins into stability. the act of clearing space for a new look in pitching speaks to how urgent the margin has become.
Kimbrel’s track record carries weight, even with the recent downturn. He ranks fifth all-time with 440 career saves, and this is the 10th organization he’s played for. His role has also narrowed with each stop. He last saved at least 30 games with the 42-save season for the World Series champion Red Sox in 2018. Before that. he held a full-time closer role when he saved 24 games for Baltimore in 2024 before the Orioles designated him for assignment.
In the broader history of closers. his current standing is still prominent but far from the position he’s used to owning. He remains 38 saves behind Lee Smith for fourth place on the all-time saves list. His contemporaries show how quickly the landscape shifts; Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen has 483 saves and counting.
Tong’s recall is the counterweight to that reality—an attempt to plug in a pitcher the Mets still believe has upside, even if his early results have been uneven. In five major-league starts after his Aug. 29, 2025 debut, Tong posted a 7.71 ERA and 1.77 WHIP.
At Class AAA Syracuse. the indicators point to the same tension: raw skill is there. but control remains the problem that turns potential into volatility. Tong is still an elite strikeout artist, punching out 55 in 38 innings at Syracuse. But the walk rate sits at 14.3%, and this season’s 5.68 ERA lines up with those struggles.
New York’s immediate pitching plan also reflects the disruption the Mets are trying to handle. The Mets originally announced that Tobias Myers would start Friday’s series opener at Miami. But Tong’s most recent AAA start was skipped, lining him up to throw in some capacity on Friday.
There’s a simple relationship tying these moves together. Kimbrel’s limited recent appearances since May 15, combined with a 6.00 ERA in 14 Mets appearances, created an opening. Tong’s minor-league production—anchored by 55 strikeouts in 38 innings—keeps him on the table. even as his 14.3% walk rate has kept the results from matching the swing-and-miss promise.
For the Mets, the immediate task is straightforward: keep winning while their pitching staff finds its rhythm again. They’ve climbed to 22-28 at the 50-game mark by taking ground in the past 19 games. Now the roster will see whether a DFA clears the way for the kind of pitching consistency they’ve still been chasing. or whether the bullpen—and the rotation—will keep demanding more moves just to hold steady.
Mets Craig Kimbrel Jonah Tong DFA MLB pitching bullpen Class AAA Syracuse Tobias Myers Miami New York Mets ERA WHIP