Mets recall Zach Thornton to start against Red Sox

This should have been Thornton’s first big-league victory, but Francisco Lindor botched a game-ending double play in the ninth and Devin Williams couldn’t pick him up afterwards. Thornton allowed just two hits, walked two and struck out five, using only 82 pitches to get his 21 outs. He definitely made a good case for sticking around as the Mets’ fifth starter, and interim manager Andy Green confirmed after the game that he’d keep the spot following the break. He’s an option in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.

Thorton figures to draw the starting assignment instead of Kodai Senga and should factor into New York’s rotation plans down the home stretch, especially if they decide to move some pitching talent at the trade deadline in a couple weeks.

Thornton earns a ticket back to the minors with Christian Scott coming off the injured list. The 24-year-old rookie struck out seven and allowed one run over six innings during a no-decision against the Phillies on Friday night. He figures to get an extended opportunity in New York’s rotation in the second half, especially if they remain out of playoff contention, but he’s going to have to wait for now.

Things did not start out well for Thornton here. Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper greeted him rudely with three consecutive hits to score a run. Then, first baseman Jared Young bailed him out with an excellent diving play to save multiple runs. From there, it was smooth sailing. He allowed just three more baserunners after the Phillies’ initial flurry and forced 13 swings-and-misses. His cutter was the star of the show as his primary pitch to both righties and lefties and he commanded it quite well. This successful audition likely puts him in position to remain in the Mets’ rotation. If so, he’s in for a tough test against the Braves in Atlanta.

Thornton will make his second big-league start tonight against the Phillies. He gave up four runs over 4 1/3 innings in his debut against the Nationals last month, and he had a 4.25 ERA and a 56/23 K/BB in 55 innings as a starter in Triple-A.

Thornton will get another chance as the Mets need a new rotation option with David Peterson traded to the Cubs. The 24-year-old allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings in his MLB debut against the Nationals in May. Thornton is worth monitoring, but fantasy managers shouldn’t rush to the waiver wire to procure his services.

All signs point to Jonah Tong sticking around for another turn in New York’s rotation after tossing three scoreless frames in his season debut on Friday night. Thornton heads back to the minors after allowing four runs over 4 1/3 innings against the Nationals in his big-league debut earlier this week. The unheralded 24-year-old control artist figures to get another chance when injuries or ineffectiveness create an opportunity later this season.

It was impressive to see how Thornton settled in during his big league debut. CJ Abrams greeted him rudely with a three-run home run in the first inning on a cutter that didn’t do much cutting. The Nationals scratched across another run in the second after Thornton walked Nasim Nuñez who then stole second base, advanced to third on an error, and scored on a hit by Keibert Ruiz. After that, he retired eight consecutive batters until Ruiz came up again and doubled. Thornton leans on his cutter – which has been tagged as a slider in some places – that he mostly spotted well running in on right-handed batters along with his fastball. On the other hand, he didn’t really have a put-away pitch so the Nationals were able to really zero-in on that cutter. If he sticks in the Mets rotation for another turn, he’d likely face the Reds at home next week.

The 24-year-old Thornton will be making his major league debut in a start against the Nationals tonight. The 2023 fifth-round pick had a 3.16 ERA and a 40/12 K/BB in 37 innings over seven starts for Syracuse.

The youth movement continues in Queens. Mendoza wouldn’t fully commit to Thornton making a traditional start, but he’ll factor into their pitching plan this week. The 24-year-old southpaw earns his first promotion to the majors after posting a strong 3.16 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 40/12 K/BB ratio across 37 innings between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse this season. Thornton offers some streaming appeal in deeper mixed leagues but he’s unlikely to generate enough volume to be an impactful option in shallow fantasy formats.