Zach Thornton’s Return to the Mets

Zach Thornton is making a comeback, and the Mets are optimistic that he’ll perform better this time around than he did in his debut. Following a 4-0 loss to Boston at Citi Field, the Mets announced that Thornton will start the series finale on Sunday.

“He’ll get a handle on our matchup at some point tomorrow,” Green mentioned before Saturday’s game, anticipating Thornton’s contribution.

At just 24, Thornton has pitched in two games for the Mets this season. His first outing against the Nationals was challenging, lasting only 4¹/₃ innings and allowing four earned runs. However, his performance improved significantly in his second game against the Phillies, where he surrendered just one run over six innings.

The Mets are in need of a fifth starter, sitting behind Nolan McLean, Freddy Peralta, Christian Scott, and Sean Manaea. Yet, it remains uncertain if Thornton will hold a spot on the roster after the All-Star break.

“What’s great about the players who come up here is embodied in him. He’s got that fearless attitude and will give his all,” Green observed. “When he’s on the mound, he’s aggressive. Most days he’ll fill the strike zone and go on the offensive.”

“He did a solid job against Philadelphia, despite starting with a few tough hits before shutting them down afterwards. That’s who I believe he is. We have high hopes for him and truly believe he can be a part of our rotation. He’s the kind of player who might just surpass our expectations.”

Thornton, standing at 6 feet 3 inches, faced some struggles this season at Triple-A Syracuse, finishing with a 4.02 ERA over 62⅔ innings pitched across 13 starts.

Recently, though, he’s been performing better, recording 16 strikeouts and allowing just three earned runs in 13⅓ innings.

MLB.com ranks Thornton as the No. 12 prospect for the Mets.