BWDIK: Hodgson, Morneau, Pivetta, Tong, Toro, Zastryzny

This Topps Now card was for sale immediately after Jonah Tong‘s MLB debut on Friday. Photo: Topps

August 31, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes from the past week:

Tong collects win in MLB debut with Mets

Right-hander Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.) earned a win in his major league debut with the New York Mets on Friday. He struck out six Miami Marlins batters – including Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) and Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) – and allowed just one earned run in five innings.

With the start, Tong became the first Canadian pitcher to start a game for the Mets since Ray Daviault on September 1, 1962.

Toronto Mets alumni Tong and Hicks faced each other three times on Friday. The 22-year-old Tong got Hicks to ground out, line out to right field and strike out. Hicks later belted a solo home run off Luis Torrens in the ninth inning.

Lopez proved to be a tougher out for Tong. The Marlins shortstop, who played for Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, struck out in the fourth but had a double in the second and a two-run single in the fifth. Like Hicks, Lopez also homered in the ninth.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the media after the game that Tong will get another start.

For more on Tong’s outstanding minor league numbers this season, you can read my article published on Tuesday.

The cover of the New York Post’s sports section after Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.) earned a win in his MLB debut on Friday.

Five Canadians have debuted in the majors this season

Tong is the fifth Canadian to make their MLB debut in 2025.

The other four to play their first big league game are Hicks, Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) with the Athletics, Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) with the Tampa Bay Rays and Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) with the Cubs.

The five Canadians that have debuted in 2025 represent a tie for the most Canadian major league debuts in a season in the past 65 years. Five other times since 1960, five Canadians have debuted in the same season:

1998 – Ryan Radmanovich (Calgary, Alta.), Steve Sinclair (Victoria, B.C.), Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.), Danny Klassen (Leamington, Ont.), Corey Koskie (Anola, Man.)

2003 – Jason Bay (Trail, B.C.), Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.), Chris Mears (Ottawa, Ont.), Rich Harden (Victoria, B.C.), Pete LaForest (Hull, Que.)

2006 – Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.), Adam Loewen (Surrey, B.C.), Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, B.C.), Scott Thorman (Cambridge, Ont.), Ryan Braun (Kitchener, Ont.).

2011 – Rene Tosoni (Toronto, Ont.), Trystan Magnuson (North Vancouver, B.C.), Scott Diamond (Guelph, Ont.), Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.), Taylor Green (Comox, B.C.)

2019 – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.), Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.), Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.), Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.)

Zastryzny activated by Brewers

Left-hander Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) was activated by the Milwaukee Brewers in time for their weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

He had been sidelined since July 1 with a rib injury and had two rehab assignments (He was shut down during the first one) with the triple-A Nashville Sounds before returning.

Prior to the injury, Zastryzny had a 2-1 record and a 2.03 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings in 15 appearances for the Brewers this season.

The 33-year-old Zastryzny has pitched in parts of seven major league seasons with the Cubs, Mets, Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and Brewers. For his career, he is 6-1 with a 3.92 ERA in 69 appearances (six starts).

Pivetta sharp again for Padres

On Tuesday, Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) had another strong start for the San Diego Padres when he limited the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs on two hits in six innings, while striking out seven. He received a no-decision when the Padres’ bullpen coughed up six runs and the Dodgers won 8-2.

Pivetta followed that up by allowing three runs on five hits, while striking out six, in the Padres’ 12-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins yesterday.

The 32-year-old right-hander remains a strong contender for the National League Cy Young Award, thanks to his 13-4 record and 2.90 ERA in 27 starts. He leads National League pitchers in winning percentage (.765) and hits per nine innings (6.1). He also has 167 strikeouts.

The Victoria native, who signed a backloaded four-year, $55-million with the Padres in February, has emerged as the team’s ace and is a big reason they sit just one game back of the Dodgers in the National League West division.

Romano placed on IL

The Philadelphia Phillies placed right-hander Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with inflammation in his right middle finger.

To say it’s been a rough season for Romano is an understatement. On Monday, he gave up a three-run home run to Mets catcher Luis Torrens in the ninth inning in the Phillies’ 13-3 loss. That increased Romano’s ERA to 8.23 in 49 appearances this season.

The 32-year-old reliever, who signed a one-year, $8.5-million deal with the Phillies on December 9 after the Blue Jays declined to offer him arbitration, lost his job as Phillies’ closer earlier in the season.

An Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad, Romano recorded 105 saves in six seasons with the Blue Jays prior to signing with the Phillies.

Toro back with triple-A Worcester Red Sox

Infielder Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) is back with the triple-A Worcester Red Sox after he was designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox on August 20.

Toro, who started the season in Worcester, had been one of Boston’s best hitters in May and June, batting .296 and .279 respectively, but he had struggled over the past two months. And he was the odd man out on the Red Sox roster after they signed veteran first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

Overall, Toro batted .239 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 77 games as part of a platoon at first base for the Red Sox after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending left patellar tendon rupture.

In total, Toro has played in parts of seven major league campaigns with the Houston Astros, Brewers, Seattle Mariners, A’s and Red Sox.

45 years ago, Paul Hodgson made MLB debut

On this date 45 years ago, Paul Hodgson (Marysville, N.B.) made his major league debut with the Blue Jays to become the second Canadian to play for the club (Dave McKay (Vancouver, B.C.) was the first). The 20-year-old outfielder had been tearing it up in Class-A Kinston, batting .352 with seven homers in 60 games, when he was called up.

“I was sitting in a trailer in Kinston, North Carolina watching tennis on TV and the phone rang and it was Dennis Holmberg, our manager,” recalled Hodgson in a phone interview in 2012 when asked about the moment he was called up. “And he said, ‘Are you sitting down?’ And when he said that, you know that something big is going to happen. He said, ‘Otto Velez got hurt. You’re on a bit of a roll. They want somebody to come up and fill his spot and play some defence. They want you up there tomorrow.’”

In his first big league start – 45 years ago today – Hodgson served as the DH and batted sixth against veteran Twins lefty Jerry Koosman. He struck out in his first at bat.

“It was on a called strike that wasn’t anywhere near a strike. Butch Wynegar was the catcher for the Twins. I forget who the home plate umpire (Bill Kunkel was the umpire) was, but he was one of those veteran umpires and it was a 2-2 pitch and it wasn’t anywhere near the plate outside,” remembered Hodgson. “And he rung me up on it and I remember Wynegar laughing and I just turned around and looked at him, and the umpire said, ‘Welcome to The Show, kid.’”

Hodgson went 0-for-3 that game, but he did have a walk and he scored his first big league run when Danny Ainge drove him in the sixth inning.

The following day, Hodgson singled to centre field in the ninth inning off Rangers right-hander Doc Medich to record his first big league hit.

Five years ago today, Guardians acquired two Canadians

On this date five years ago, the Cleveland Guardians landed Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) and Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) as part of a six-player package from the Padres in exchange for Mike Clevinger, Greg Allen and a player to be named later (Matt Waldron).

It turned out to be a lopsided deal in the Guardians’ favor.

While Clevinger proceeded to post a 4.12 ERA in 27 appearances (26 starts) over parts of two seasons with the Padres, Quantrill went 27-15 with a 3.58 ERA in 99 outings (75 starts) in four campaigns with Cleveland. Meanwhile, Naylor developed into an All-Star slugger in his five campaigns with the Guardians, batting .264 with 75 home runs in 486 games.

Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.) was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates 12 years ago today. Photo: Pirates

Morneau became a Pirate 12 years ago

Twelve years ago today, the Minnesota Twins traded Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.) to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Alex Presley and a player to be named later (Duke Welker).

Morneau would bat .260 and post a .370 on-base percentage in 25 games for the Pirates to help lead them to their first post-season appearance since 1992. The Canadian first baseman hit .300 in the five-game National League Championship Series that the Pirates lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. Following the season, Morneau signed with the Colorado Rockies.

For his part, Presley batted .283 in 28 games for the Twins that September before he was released by the club the following spring.

Welker, a 28-year-old right-hander, never pitched for the Twins before he was dealt back to the Pirates on November 18, 2013.

Fun Fact of the Week

On August 30, 1971 – or 54 years ago yesterday – Cubs right-hander Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) became the first Canadian baseball player to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.