PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Despite a healthy pitching staff, the Mets will not open the season with a six-man rotation, Carlos Mendoza revealed on the penultimate day of Grapefruit League action on Saturday.
In the midst of a rocky spring, Sean Manaea will move to the bullpen in a piggyback role to begin the season.
Mendoza offered his pitching plans to begin the season on Saturday, with Freddy Peralta tabbed for Opening Day and David Peterson and Nolan McLean to follow suit for the first three games of the season against the Pirates. Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga, in that order, will take the next two games against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
“We were pretty honest with all of them at the beginning of camp, 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,” Mendoza said. “The way we see it is (Manaea’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 a sixth starter yet.”
Manaea has allowed four earned runs on seven hits and two walks across 9⅔ innings with nine strikeouts. The 34-year-old, who is in the second year of a three-year, $75 million deal, has seen his velocity linger in the high-80s throughout spring training.
“The velo’s got nothing to do here,” Mendoza said. “Not that we had anything in mind, we just needed to get through spring training, and we still got to get through the next two, three days, but we’re getting to a point where we’re lining up guys.”
How will Sean Manaea’s role look out of the bullpen
New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) works during spring training on Feb. 17, 2026, at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
The Mets still view Manaea as a starting pitcher. His presence in the bullpen will have no bearing on whether the club elects to carry a second left-hander alongside Brooks Raley, whether it be Bryan Hudson or Richard Lovelady.
Mendoza said that there will not be a set day that Manaea pitches but they have to be cognizant of his preparation as he remains in the equation as a starer down the line.
“Depending on where you are in the game, who’s available that day in the bullpen, how much you use those guys. There’s some flexibility there, but we’re not gonna go too many days without having to pitch Sean. We have to keep him somehow on his schedule.”
Manaea will be used as an option to shoulder the load on a day where the bullpen needs some rest, and the Mets will not be afraid to use him in a high-leverage situation across multiple innings.
How did Sean Manea’s switch come about?
A season ago, Manaea missed the first three months of the season with an oblique strain and pitched with loose bodies in his elbow over the last three months. He struggled to find his footing upon his return, finishing with a 2-4 record with a 5.64 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 60⅔ innings.
The Mets shifted Manaea to the bullpen for two games down the stretch last September.
This spring, Manaea has been mixing a cutter and more of his sinker this spring to try and keep offenses off-balance. As the velocity has dipped, Manaea has said he’s hopeful there will be a spike with additional energy in the regular season. The left-hander, who tweaked his delivery two seasons ago to the throw more from the side, has never been a power pitcher.
“It’s low but at the end of day, I feel good. I’m not concerned about it whatsoever,” Manaea said. “When I get up to Citi Field and get some adrenaline going, I think it’ll shoot back up.”
The left-hander had been one of the team’s most dependable arms during their deep postseason run in 2024. He threw a career-high 181⅔ innings and notched a 12-6 record with a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 184 strikeouts. He was 2-1 with victories over the Phillies and Dodgers on the Mets’ run to the National League Championship Series.
Before joining the Mets in the 2024 season, Manaea had been used in a swing role in his one season with the Giants.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets starting rotation revealed, with Sean Manaea headed to bullpen
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