Tong will not be promoted from Triple-A Syracuse when rosters expand Tuesday, as Justin Hagenman (ribs) will be activated from the 60-day IL instead, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.
Tong did everything he could to prove he's ready for another crack at the majors in his most recent start Saturday, as he tossed seven scoreless innings for Syracuse while allowing just one hit and two walks with eight strikeouts. With the Mets out of playoff contention, however, they may have decided to let the 23-year-old right-hander build up more confidence before having him audition for a rotation spot again next spring. Over eight Triple-A outings since the All-Star break, Tong has a 2.20 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 44:20 K:BB in 41 innings.