Sean Manaea has struggled to replicate the form he showed last season. After missing most of the first half of this year due to injury, the left-hander has fallen short of the New York Mets’ expectations, and the consequences have arrived quickly. According to The Athletic on Sunday, Manaea is set to move to the bullpen ahead of the final game of the three-game series against the Texas Rangers. MLB Trade Rumors also reported that Manaea confirmed he will be available out of the bullpen for the series against the San Diego Padres, starting Tuesday.
This season, Manaea has appeared in 11 games for the Mets, 10 as a starter, posting just one win against three losses and a 5.76 ERA. He has allowed 10 home runs in 50 innings, resulting in a 4.6% home run rate. His recent struggles have been glaring: in his last five outings, Manaea gave up 19 earned runs and 28 hits—including six home runs—in only 23 innings. This marks a stark contrast to last season, when he started 32 games for New York, recording 12 wins, six losses, and a 3.47 ERA, allowing only 21 home runs in 134 hits while striking out 184 batters over 181 2/3 innings.
The move to the bullpen indicates the Mets will rely on a five-man starting rotation for the final 14 games of the regular season. Veterans Clay Holmes and David Peterson are expected to join rookies Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong, all of whom have impressed fans in New York.
As of Sunday, the Mets’ playoff hopes are precarious. After an eight-game losing streak, they remain third in the National League wild-card standings, just a half-game ahead of the San Francisco Giants, with no realistic chance of catching the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who are 13 games ahead.
