Mets Shift Manaea to Bullpen, Monitor Progress

0:00On March 25, the New York Mets have shifted veteran pitcher Sean Manea to the bullpen for the start of the 2026 season. Instead of a full-time starter role, they'll use him in a multi-inning relief setup paired with rotation pitchers. This decision follows last week's announcement amid concerns over his early performance. Manea's spring training showed his fastball sitting in the high 80s, though he touched 92 mph in a recent interest squad. Scrimmage, that's below his usual low 90s range, raising questions about his readiness. At age 34, Manea is coming off a tough 2025 season plagued by oblique and elbow injuries that limited his outings. The Mets want to manage his workload carefully to build him up gradually. Team President David Stern's remains optimistic, stressing that Manea will play a major role and make plenty of starts as the year progresses, though monitor his progress closely in the early going. For now, this flexible approach lets the Mets protect their key arm while keeping options open for a smooth transition back to the rotation.

1:04This has been MLB News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.