Manaea could return to Mets after one more rehab start

NEW YORK -- Left-hander Sean Manaea, who has missed the entire season to date rehabbing right oblique and left elbow injuries, could still return before the All-Star break.

Manaea is scheduled to make one more Minor League rehab start Tuesday to stretch out to 75-plus pitches. If that goes well, manager Carlos Mendoza said, it’s possible Manaea could pitch in the Mets’ final game before the break on July 13 against the Royals in Kansas City.

“Ideally yes,” Mendoza said, “but we’re going to take it one day at a time, one outing at a time.”

Although Manaea allowed three runs (two earned) over three innings in his last rehab start Wednesday for Double-A Binghamton, he came out of it healthy. That was no small consideration, since Manaea had complained of left elbow discomfort following his previous outing on June 19. An MRI revealed a loose body in his elbow, which required a cortisone shot and a brief shutdown period.

When Manaea returned to the mound for Binghamton, his elbow was on his mind, but those concerns quickly dissipated once he began throwing without pain.

“Definitely very encouraging,” he said.

Manaea’s next outing -- his sixth and potentially last in the Minors -- will be less about health and more about executing pitches.

The Mets, who have five of their top eight starters on the injured list, will be eager for him to return. Manaea was the Mets’ best pitcher last season, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA plus additional success in the playoffs. He parlayed that into a three-year, $75 million contract over the offseason, but Manaea strained his right oblique muscle in Spring Training and has been sidelined ever since.

“We’re not trying to just sit back and try to get healthy,” Manaea said, stressing the urgency of his rehab. “I definitely feel like I want to be out there as quickly as possible.”