Zach Thornton is in line for his second major-league start Friday. Scott Taetsch / Getty ImagesJune 25, 2026 1:24 pm EDT Updated With their season teetering toward the abyss, the New York Mets will recall left-hander Zach Thornton from Triple A on Thursday, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation, in the Mets’ latest attempt to patch a struggling rotation.Thornton, 24, had been scheduled to start Thursday for Syracuse, where he has a 4.80 ERA in 30 innings. Instead, he will step into the Mets’ rotation Friday in the wake of the trade Wednesday that sent veteran left-hander David Peterson to the Chicago Cubs.
The Mets are planning to recall Zach Thornton to pitch on Friday, league sources said. They created a spot in their rotation last night when they traded David Peterson. Elsewhere in the rotation, Christian Scott’s expected return this weekend covers Kodai Senga’s move to bullpen.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) June 25, 2026In Thornton’s only previous major-league start, against the Washington Nationals on May 20, he surrendered four runs in 4 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-3, 170 left-hander was the Mets’ fifth-round pick out of Grand Canyon University in 2023.The move comes a day after another miserable chapter for the Mets. Fans jeered as the home team suffered an error-filled doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Cubs. The Mets have lost five straight and are nine games back of the third NL wild-card spot, which the Cubs hold.In return for Peterson, who is set to become a free agent after the season, the Mets are acquiring minor-league infielder Cole Mathis.
