Sean Manaea to start season in bullpen as Mets set 5-man rotation

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’ll 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 rotation of five was best for two turns given its early schedule, which includes an off day after next 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 deal 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 3½ months with a strained oblique.

Manaea 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 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.”