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The Mets have DFA'd Craig Kimbrel to make room for pitching prospect Jonah Tong.

With the New York Mets set to recall Jonah Tong to pitch against the Miami Marlins, a corresponding roster move was imminent. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that the Mets have designated reliever Craig Kimbrel for assignment.

This move spells the end for Kimbrel’s tenure with the club. The former Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies closer signed a minor league deal with the Mets. While he didn’t make the Opening Day roster, he joined the bullpen in the middle of April.

In 15 games with the Mets, Kimbrel pitched to a 6.00 ERA in mostly low-leverage work. However, he became expendable after throwing 56 pitches in the Nationals series.

Craig Kimbrel DFA’d to Make Room for Jonah Tong Recall

The Mets, who are in a stretch of 16 games in 16 days, called up Tong to give their rotation a breather. That gives the rest of the rotation an extra day of rest in a challenging portion of their season. New York is 7-3 in that stretch.

With the organization cycling through young arms, the question was whether they would send down a starter or a reliever. The Kimbrel DFA answers that question.

New York has seven days to resolve the DFA, whether that’s by releasing the right-hander, outright him to the minors, or trade him to another club. Regardless of that result, it’s likely Kimbrel has thrown his last pitch for the Mets in 2026.

In the event that the right-hander resurfaces in the majors with another club, the Mets will receive some small salary relief. However, it would only be the prorated amount of the league minimum. Kimbrel is earning $2.5 million with New York this season.

The longer-term question is whether Kimbrel has a spot in Cooperstown. While the right-hander has been nowhere close to the ninth inning the past two seasons, his overall body of work is worth examining. In his career, he has 440 saves, 1,297 strikeouts, a 38.5% strikeout rate, and a 155 ERA+.

His overall career numbers compare relatively well to those of former Mets closer Billy Wagner. While Kimbrel has superior strikeout rates and counting numbers, Wagner has a better park-adjusted ERA+ (187). The flamethrowing left-hander was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame this year.

Jonah Tong Set to Make 2026 Debut with Mets

Even though Tong has been added to the roster, he will not start the series opener against the Marlins. The Mets will start Tobias Myers as an opener, who will likely be followed by Tong in bulk relief.

Injuries have forced the club to embrace a youth movement. Tong will become the fifth player on the Mets’ preseason Top 30 list to appear in a game. Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Nick Morabito, and Zach Thornton have played for the club this season. While Tong is the first player on that list to have already debuted before this season, he carries just five starts and 18.2 innings in his big league career.

Beyond Myers and Tong, the Mets have a well-rested bullpen. Left-hander Sean Manaea enters the game on four days’ rest, which gives manager Carlos Mendoza some multi-inning coverage. Manaea threw 57 pitches over four innings against the New York Yankees.

Right-hander Austin Warren may be the only arm unavailable for this game, with 52 pitches thrown between May 18 and May 20. While the club used four relievers to close out the series finale against Washington, none of them threw more than 17 pitches.

The Mets are piecing together their starting rotation as they go. When they revert to a five-man rotation, they’ll have a decision whether to keep Tong or Thornton.