Mets designate Craig Kimbrel for assignment, recall starter Jonah Tong

Craig Kimbrel ranks fifth all-time with 440 career saves, but he was unable to add to that total in his tenure with the New York Mets.

The Mets designated Kimbrel for assignment Friday, May 22, as they recalled starting pitcher Jonah Tong in an effort to navigate a challenging period for their pitching staff.

And it was clear Kimbrel, who turns 38 May 28, would not be a piece of that puzzle.

The Mets are just past the midway point of playing 17 consecutive days, but Kimbrel has pitched just twice since May 15. 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.

New York has partially corrected course after a disastrous start, winning 12 of its past 19 games to reach the 50-game mark 22-28.

The Mets are Kimbrel's 10th team, though he's seen his role diminish with each passing organization. He last saved at least 30 games when he nailed down 42 saves for the World Series champion Red Sox in 2018, and last held a full-time closer role when he saved 24 games for Baltimore in 2024 before the Orioles designated him for assignment.

He remains 38 saves behind Lee Smith for fourth place on the all-time saves list, while his contemporary, Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, has 483 saves and counting.

Tong, one of the Mets' top pitching prospects, struggled in five starts after his Aug. 29, 2025 debut, posting a 7.71 ERA and 1.77 WHIP. He remains an elite strikeout artist, punching out 55 in 38 innings at Class AAA Syracuse, but that's also accompanied by a 14.3% walk rate, the main culprit for his 5.68 ERA this season.

The Mets originally announced 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.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Craig Kimbrel DFA'd as Mets recall Jonah Tong