NEW YORK -- With 12 games remaining and each of them crucial to the team’s playoff chances, the Mets are whittling down their rotation.
Rather than start Tuesday’s series opener against the Padres, Sean Manaea will move to the bullpen, manager Carlos Mendoza announced Sunday. The Mets expect Manaea to piggyback behind Clay Holmes, who will start that game.
How long each pitcher goes will hinge on a multitude of factors.
“I think it depends what kind of lineup we get and where we’re at in the game,” Mendoza said after the Mets' 5-2 walk-off win over the Rangers. “That’s the plan, but we’ve got to be able to make adjustments and be flexible. We’ve just got to see what we’ve got there.”
It is the continuation of a disjointed year for Manaea, who strained his right oblique in Spring Training, was subsequently diagnosed with a loose body in his left elbow and missed the first three-plus months of the season. Although Manaea initially succeeded upon his return, he is winless with a 7.71 ERA over his last seven starts.
Holmes, who owns a 4.81 ERA since the start of August, will remain in the rotation along with Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong and David Peterson. While the Mets have at least discussed the concept of an all-rookie rotation in a potential National League Wild Card Series, they are not making any firm decisions at this point, knowing they need to make the playoffs first.
Manaea has some prior bullpen experience, most notably making 27 relief appearances for the 2023 Giants.