ST. LOUIS — Sean Manaea’s Situation Remains Unclear
Sean Manaea, the Mets’ starting pitcher, is still piecing together his approach. After being ejected the day following a short 1¹/3 innings in relief, he faced questions on Monday about how he plans to contribute to the rotation for the first time this season.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted before the Mets secured a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals.
Ideally, Manaea envisions a piggyback role, where he can capitalize on pitching three to four innings, helping to build up his endurance.
It appears he might be slotted as the sixth starter during the upcoming homestand.
“If this happens [on Sunday], I really don’t know how to handle that situation. I just need to stay stretched out,” Manaea reflected, having allowed two walks and one hit in a scoreless appearance that involved 29 pitches.
Coach Carlos Mendoza has hinted that a decision is on the horizon concerning Manaea’s usage.
“I’m not worried at this moment,” Mendoza said. “The tough part is, if we proceed with this plan, he’ll end up throwing only 30 pitches in a game, which could impact him. Last time, he was ramped up to 85 pitches, so those 29 pitches were manageable,” Mendoza noted.
“But then we have to figure out whether it’s 50 pitches, 40, or something shorter. Those are just some considerations we need to weigh.”
In other news, Mendoza shared that Jorge Polanco has been dealing with Achilles pain recently and has been limited to a DH role in both games. Jared Young, who had a single and an RBI, stepped in at first base, making him the third player to take on that role this season after Polanco and Brett Batty.
“We’re not too concerned about Polanco,” Mendoza added. “However, we want to manage his exposure on the field. It’s crucial to address this early on.”
Meanwhile, Luis Robert Jr. was sitting out as the team looks to save the outfielder’s legs during a stretch of nine games in a row. Batty, making his first major league start in right field, had previously played this position during spring training.
“The outfield’s third deck is brand new for him,” Mendoza said. “The sound of the ball off the bat differs from a spring training game. There’s a bigger crowd. The outfield feels expansive. There are plenty of adjustments, but he’s adapting well. If anyone can manage that, it’s Brett Beatty.”
