Jorge CastilloMar 21, 2026, 10:56 AM ET
- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
PORT ST. LUCIE Fla. -- Left-hander Sean Manaea will begin the season in the New York Mets' bullpen, manager Carlos Mendoza announced Saturday morning.
Mendoza said Manaea will be used in a piggyback role, meaning he will relieve a starter to log multiple innings in a game, but declined to share which game he will pitch.
The Mets' Opening Day rotation, in order, will be Freddy Peralta, David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga.
"Six guys throwing the ball really well," Mendoza said. "And 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 team decided a five-man rotation was best for two turns given its early schedule, which includes an off day after Thursday's season opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The club will then reevaluate its rotation before it plays nine games in nine days, perhaps going to a six-man rotation with Manaea included.
"He's gonna make starts for us," Mendoza said. "So this is a couple times through, making sure guys go through their routine, and we'll revisit when we have to and maybe then it's somebody else's turn."
Manaea, 34, signed a three-year, $75 million before last season after his strong second half in 2024 boosted the Mets' unexpected run to the National League Championship Series. His 2025 season, however, was an injury-plagued disappointment. Pitching through a loose body in his elbow, he compiled a 5.64 ERA over 15 games (12 starts) after missing the season's first three-and-a-half months with a strained oblique.
He avoided offseason surgery on the elbow and reported to spring training healthy. He bookended his three Grapefruit League starts with sharp outings, including four scoreless innings Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, but his fastball velocity has hovered in the upper 80s. The drop continued an alarming recent pattern: Manaea's fastball velocity has declined each season since 2023, from 93.8 mph to 91.7 mph in 2025.
Mendoza insisted the velocity drop did not factor into the team's decision to have Manaea begin the season in the bullpen.
"Not happy, even though we were pretty up front with all of them," Mendoza said of Manaea's reaction to the news. "But he was very respectful. He understood. ... Like I said, right now, it's Sean doing that, but it could easily be someone else and they are well aware of that."
