However, it's hard not to call Kodai Senga an ace, given that his 1.47 ERA is the best in all of baseball right now. But in that case, it initially seemed like the Mets might be without their ace for some time after Senga suffered a hamstring strain while covering first base in the sixth inning of the Mets' June 12 game against the Washington Nationals.

Tong has been sensational at Double-A Binghamton, where the 21-year-old has a 1.99 ERA in 11 starts and an incredible 91 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings.

Alonso’s teammates similarly gathered around him to offer encouragement -- words and actions that proved of little comfort to the first baseman, even as the Mets won their sixth straight game and swe...