Sean Manaea is odd man out of Mets pitching rotation
New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea during a spring training workout, Thursday Feb. 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, FL. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Questions about how the Mets will align their pitching staff to start the season officially were answered by Carlos Mendoza on Saturday morning.
The Mets will have a five-man rotation, at least through the first two turns of the rotation, with Sean Manaea as the odd man out. Mendoza plans to use the 34-year-old lefthander in a piggyback role out of the bullpen, though it is to be determined which games he will pitch in.
“Six guys throwing the ball really well, and we were pretty honest with all of them at the beginning of camp,” Mendoza said before Saturday’s game against the Astros at Clover Park. “If everyone was healthy, we were going to have to make some tough decisions, and one of them was going to be pitching in that type of role. The way we see it is, he's taking that turn right now and probably two times through the rotation because of the schedule and the off days.
“We don't feel like we need that sixth starter yet. He's going to make starts for us. So this is a couple of times through, making sure guys go through their routine, and we'll revisit when we have to and maybe there's somebody else's turn at the time.”
Said Manaea: “I consider myself a starter, and to not be that is frustrating. But at the end of the day, I'm just going to let my pitching do the work in whatever capacity that is. We’ll go from there.”
The rotation is lined up like this:
• Thursday (Opening Day) vs. Pittsburgh: Freddy Peralta
• Saturday vs. Pittsburgh: David Peterson
• March 29 vs. Pittsburgh: Nolan McLean
• March 30 at St. Louis: Clay Holmes
• March 31 at St. Louis: Kodai Senga
The Mets have two off days in the first 12 days of the regular season: Friday and April 6. Peterson is the lone lefthander in the five-man rotation.
In three spring training starts, Manaea had a 3.72 ERA, 0.931 WHIP and nine strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings. But his velocity, which he expects to increase with the adrenaline of the regular season, was significantly down. He threw 68 four-seam fastballs that averaged 88.6 mph and hit 90 mph only once. He averaged 91.7 mph on his four-seamer last year – a limited season after dealing with a right oblique strain and a loose body in his elbow – 92.2 mph in 2024 and 93.8 mph in 2023. Mendoza said that “velo’s got nothing to do” with the rotation decision.
When Manaea inked a three-year, $75 million contract with the Mets in December 2024, this certainly was not in his plans. Mendoza said Manaea was “not happy” but “very respectful” upon receiving the news.
“He understood, just like everyone else,” Mendoza said. “Right now, it's Sean doing that, but it could easily be someone else, and they are well aware of that.”
Mendoza was asked if there still was a role for Manaea – compared to the Mets' high-leverage relievers – if the team played a bunch of one-run games early in the season. Mendoza said he feels “very good with him pitching high-leverage situations.”
“When you get a really good outing from everyone, and you get to the last time through and he hasn't pitched, then the bullpen most likely is going to need a blow anyway,” the manager added. “So those are the games where people probably will see that there's a good chance that Manaea is going to pitch regardless of the situation of the game.”
For as long as Manaea is in this role, the Mets will have to balance which situations to use him in while also keeping his pitch count up. Mendoza recognized that, saying “that's where it gets tricky.” In an ideal world, the starter might throw five innings and Manaea would pitch the final four.
“We're not going to go too many days without having to pitch Sean,” Mendoza said. “We got to keep it somehow on his schedule.”
Manaea said he is built up to 60 pitches, with the goal of getting to 65 to 70 in his next outing on Monday (a scrimmage in which McLean also is pitching). In terms of maintaining his pitch count early in the season, Manaea hopes it comes in a game environment, not with extra bullpen pitches.
He was in a piggyback situation relieving Holmes twice last year: on July 13, his season debut, and Sept. 16. He also threw one inning in relief last Sept. 16.
“One of my strong suits is being adaptable and starting, relieving, piggybacking – I feel like I’ve done it all,” Manaea said. “It's nothing new, so I know what to fall back on and rely on.”
When asked if he feels like he is pitching for his job, Manaea said: “I felt like that ever since I've gotten [to MLB].”
“The window of opportunity to pitch at the big-league level is always shrinking,” he added. “I know one day it’s going to not be here.”
Worry for Tauchman
Mike Tauchman, competing with top prospect Carson Benge to be the Mets’ starting rightfielder, exited Saturday’s game with left knee soreness and received an MRI, Mendoza said.
Tauchman attempted to run out to rightfield before the start of the fifth inning but pulled up before reaching the leftfield line, gingerly walking back to the Mets’ dugout.
“We don't know what we're dealing with, but every time you send someone for an MRI, obviously there's a bit of a concern there,” said Mendoza, who did not know how the injury happened. “But we just got to wait, see what happens. I keep saying a lot can happen (before) we make the final decisions, and here we are dealing with an injury.”
Tauchman seemed to be moving with discomfort earlier in the game and appeared to grab at his left knee in rightfield.
If Tauchman is sidelined, is it safe to say that Benge would be the starting rightfielder?
“Can’t say,” Mendoza said. “We don't know. Just got to wait.”
Notes & quotes: The Mets optioned catcher Hayden Senger to Triple-A, and 38 players remain in big-league camp.
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
