Tong appears in line to make his next start Saturday against the Reds in Cincinnati, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

The Mets had initially confirmed that Tong would take the hill for the series opener Friday, but David Peterson will instead start that contest while the rookie right-hander gets pushed back a day. Tong will be starting on seven days' rest coming off a promising MLB debut versus the Marlins this past Friday, when he struck out six and allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks over five innings en route to picking up a win.

Manaea is slated to make his next start Monday in Philadelphia, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Though the Mets are considering assigning the struggling Kodai Senga to the minors rather than having him take his normal turn through the rotation this Sunday in Cincinnati, Manaea won't be in the mix to fill in for Senga in the series finale versus the Reds. Manaea most recently took the hill for Monday's 10-8 win over the Tigers, lasting just 3.2 innings while allowing five earned runs on eight hits and one walk. After returning from the 60-day injured list in mid-July, Manaea looked strong through his first four starts of the season with the Mets, but the southpaw's performance has taken a dramatic turn for the worse ever since. Over his subsequent six starts, Manaea has submitted a 7.81 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 27.2 innings. Manaea will get another chance to right the ship Monday, but a poor showing versus the Phillies could prompt manager Carlos Mendoza to consider moving him to the bullpen.

Megill (elbow) struck out five batters and allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks over four innings in a rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Syracuse.

After tossing five innings in the third start of his rehab assignment Aug. 22, Megill has now covered four frames his last two times out at Triple-A, but he was able to get stretched out to 79 pitches Tuesday and looks ready to return from the 60-day injured list. The Mets haven't confirmed that Megill will be deployed as a starter upon his activation, though he looks like a decent bet to get a look in that role while Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea have struggled since the beginning of August to put their standing in the rotation on shaky ground. If Megill is inserted into the rotation, he could be reinstated for Sunday's game in Cincinnati, though the Mets may prefer to wait until early next week to make a roster move in order to give him an extra day or two to recover from Tuesday's outing with Syracuse.

Kershaw came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 9-7 loss to the Pirates, giving up four runs on four hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out three.

The 37-year-old lefty looked like he would get chased early when the Bucs struck for four runs in the first inning, but Kershaw kept his composure and gave the Dodgers a chance to tie things up before he left the mound after 83 pitches (49 strikes). He's provided at least five innings in six straight starts since the beginning of August, posting a 2.67 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 22:7 K:BB in 33.2 innings over that stretch as he continues to pad his Hall of Fame resume. Kershaw is scheduled to make his next outing at home early next week against the woeful Rockies.

McLean (4-0) picked up the win in Tuesday's 12-5 victory over the Tigers, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out seven.

The rookie right-hander wasn't quite as sharp as he'd been over his last two starts, when he dazzled with a 13:0 K:BB over 15 innings, but McLean got stronger as the game went on and retired the final 14 batters he faced. He's won all four of his big-league starts, posting a 1.37 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 28:7 K:BB through 26.1 frames and injecting serious life into the Mets' playoff hopes. The team's rotation is potentially in flux, but McLean likely lines up to make his next trip to the mound on the road early next week in a huge NL East clash with the Phillies.

Cavalli (2-1) earned the win Tuesday over the Marlins, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six in five innings.

Cavalli had a strong bounce-back outing after getting pummeled for eight runs (seven earned) by the Yankees in his previous start. He tossed three scoreless frames before the Marlins pushed a pair of runs across in the fourth and he was eventually pulled after tossing 75 pitches through five. Cavalli's fastball topped out at 99 mph and he tied his season high in strikeouts despite the quick hook. Cavalli is over 100 innings pitched for the season between the majors and minors, so it wouldn't be surprising to see some restrictions as the season winds down. He's currently lined up to face Miami again on the road next week.

Mazur (0-2) took the loss Tuesday against the Nationals, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and no walks while striking out five in six innings.

Mazur set a career-worst mark with 10 hits allowed, and five of the 10 hits went for extra bases. The biggest hit of the night against him was a two-run blast in the fourth by James Wood. Mazur was able to finish strong with two scoreless frames and tied his career high with six innings. He's tentatively lined up to complete a two-start week with a tough matchup against the Phillies.

Darvish (3-5) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out six over four-plus innings to take the loss versus the Orioles on Tuesday.

Darvish gave up a solo home run to Jeremiah Jackson in the first inning and a two-run single to Emmanuel Rivera in the third. Darvish found more trouble in the fifth and was pulled from that frame after walking Jackson to lead off the inning. This was the third time in four starts Darvish fell short of the five-inning mark, and he's allowed 13 runs (12 earned) over 18 innings in that span. For the season, he's at a 5.75 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 48:17 K:BB through 51.2 innings across 11 starts. Darvish has had a few flashes of his talent, but he hasn't been able to sustain success from one start to the next very often. He's projected for a home matchup versus the Reds early next week.

Webb (13-9) earned the win Tuesday against the Rockies, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out seven.

Even though Webb's streak of starts of at least six innings was stopped at six, he still turned in a decent outing at hitter-friendly Coors Field. The All-Star right-hander has fired fewer than five frames just twice all year, and he's now fanned at least five on 24 occasions among his 29 outings. Webb owns a steady 3.17 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 194:39 K:BB across 178.2 innings, and he's next lined up to take the hill early next week at home against the division-rival Diamondbacks.

Imanaga (9-6) earned the win Tuesday against Atlanta, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out two.

While he fell one strikeout shy of tying his season-low output, Imanaga extended his streak of quality starts to six. The left-hander has permitted more than three runs on just three occasions in 21 starts this season and has pitched at least five frames in all but two outings. Imanaga sports a 3.15 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 97:23 K:BB over 123 innings, and he'll be trying to add to his streak of quality starts in a rematch with Atlanta early next week.