The New York Mets made a big move with their pitching staff following a second straight loss to Seattle. The team sent down right-hander Jonah Tong, who was the bulk pitcher in Tuesday's loss to the Mariners, prior to Wednesday afternoon's game.With a need for a fresh pitcher and after struggling last night, the Mets are optioning Jonah Tong, league sources said: https://t.co/4BAs9kJLIc— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) June 3, 2026The Athletic's Will Sammon was the first to report the news that Tong is on his way back to Syracuse. The decision came down to the Mets' need for a fresh reliever amidst a challenging stretch of schedule, one that was exacerbated by an extra-inning game on Monday night where Carlos Mendoza needed to use six pitchers.Tong, who was expected to be a significant factor in the Mets' rotation for a bit, didn't help his cause with a rough outing against the Mariners. The Mets saw Tong give up five runs (four earned) in 3.1 innings, surrendering five hits and walking two while seeing his season ERA raise to 3.60 in three bulk outings.It is unclear who will take Tong's place at this time, but he will need to spend at least the next 15 days in the minors barring an injury-related call up. With a pair of off days coming up sandwiching their series with San Diego, the Mets won't need a fifth starter again until late next week.How this decision impacts Jonah Tong and the MetsWhile there were encouraging signs in Tong's performances to date, it is clear that he still has work to do to succeed as a big league starter. SNY analyst Daniel Murphy pointed out during Tuesday night's telecast that Tong doesn't have an elite breaking pitch to put away hitters yet, which makes it tougher for him to succeed as opponents can measure up his stuff the more they see him.The results that Tong had in Syracuse were inconsistent as well, so he could benefit from more time working down there. Tong is still only 22 years old, so he has a chance to develop into a solid pitcher with more experience and work on his secondary offerings.How the Mets fill that rotation spot figures to be interesting, especially given their recent call to leave David Peterson in the bullpen. This could theoretically create a lane for the return of Kodai Senga, who is building up his pitch count on a rehab assignment with Syracuse.Senga is currently scheduled to throw 85 pitches in a rehab start for Syracuse today, which would set him up to make a start for the Mets next week. If the Mets feel that Senga needs more time, they could also look to give Zach Thornton another shot or do a bullpen game with Peterson as the bulk reliever. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow