The New York Mets will be starting left-hander Zach Thornton in the third of a four-game series against the Washington Nationals. The left-hander will make his MLB debut at Nationals Park, as the Mets try to shake off a frustrating loss.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports the club will option reliever Daniel Duarte to Triple-A Syracuse as the corresponding move. The Mets already had freed up a 40-man spot when they transferred Clay Holmes (fractured right fibula) to the 60-day injured list.
Zach Thornton Set for MLB Debut
Thornton, 24, will be the fourth Mets prospect to debut for the club in 2026. He follows outfielders Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, and Nick Morabito. At the time of his debut, the left-hander was ranked as the organization’s No. 13 prospect on MLB Pipeline.
In seven starts with Syracuse, Thornton has pitched to a 3.16 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 12 walks over 37 innings. His strong performance in Triple-A earned him the promotion over higher-ranked prospects such as Jonah Tong (No. 2) and Jack Wenninger (No. 5). Tong was scratched from his start in Syracuse, per Mets Minors‘ Mike Mayer, so he might be on his way to New York as well.
Asked why the club chose Thornton over Tong and Wenninger, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza cited the left-hander’s superior command.
Mendoza says it’ll be a “one outing at a time” approach to see if Thornton stays with the big league club
Thornton features a five-pitch mix. His four-seamer averages around 91 MPH, along with a cutter, curveball, slider, and changeup. Statcast flags a sinker in his arsenal; those might be four-seamers that were misread.
The left-hander makes up for the lack of velocity with good control and a “bulldog mentality” for attacking hitters. MLB Pipeline projects his ceiling as a No. 5 starter who has to rely on command and pitchability to survive in a rotation.
Mets Rotation Situation After Adding Zach Thornton
For right now, the Mets are hoping to survive this season and not get buried by an avalanche of injuries. The club is currently without two of its five starters from their Opening Day rotation, with Holmes and Kodai Senga on the injured list.
The Mets will be without Holmes until August at the earliest, although both he and the club are optimistic it won’t be longer than that. The right-hander suffered a fractured fibula on a Spencer Jones comebacker that struck him just above the ankle. Thornton is the first starter the club has turned to for filling Holmes’ vacated rotation spot.
New York is hoping to climb out of the National League Basement, having won six of their last eight games. Their roster is banged up across the board, with 13 players on the injured list.
In addition to Thornton, the Mets have deployed an opener ahead of David Peterson. That move has worked out nicely for the club, as Peterson has pitched better as a bulk arm compared to a starter. The left-hander’s rotation spot is set to come up for the series finale in Washington. Right-handers Huascar Brazoban and Tobias Myers have opened ahead of him in four of the last five turns in the rotation.
Kodai Senga is another ailing starter, dealing with lumbar spine inflammation, who’s in the throwing phase of his rehab. The right-hander threw 46 pitches in a live BP in Florida, with Mendoza informing reporters that Senga reached 96 MPH on his fastball.
Assuming no further setbacks, Senga could return in June for the Mets. That will be a welcome breath of fresh air for a team that really needs it.
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