PHOENIX — Mets Have a Small Silver Lining Amid Tough Loss
In a challenging game for the Mets, there was at least a glimmer of hope as the ejected starting pitcher made noticeable progress.
Sean Manaea delivered a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two, despite the Mets ultimately losing 5-1 to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
This performance marked Manaea’s most promising outing in weeks, but what really stood out was a notable increase in his speed.
His fastball, which had been lacking this season, clocked in at an average of 91.3 mph on his four-seamer. This was a jump from the 89.7 mph average he brought into the game.
Previously, during a relief appearance in Colorado just a few days earlier, he faced a rough outing, managing only one out while giving up three hits and striking out some batters.
In today’s game, manager Carlos Mendoza responded to a tense situation by calling on Devin Williams, who made a significant impact by finishing the inning with two outs and a full bases situation, despite the Mets trailing by five runs.
“Manaea has been really putting in the effort. He deserves some credit for that,” Mendoza remarked. “He never lets his head hang low, and it’s encouraging to see that fastball moving. If he can grab those three outs, maybe it’ll boost his spirits a bit.”
Mendoza also mentioned that Jorge Polanco, who had initially been placed on the injured list, is recovering well from a right wrist contusion. However, he remains sidelined due to a flare-up of left Achilles bursitis that has hindered his movement earlier this season.
“Some days are better, some are, well, not so much,” Mendoza noted.
Luis Robert Jr. continues his treatment but hasn’t yet resumed baseball activities. He has been on the disabled list since April 27 due to a herniated disc in his lumbar spine.
Also making strides, Kodai Chiga took the mound from the bullpen for the first time since beginning rehabilitation for lumbar spondylitis.
The right-handed pitcher has been on the disabled list for the past two weeks.
In other updates, Mendoza mentioned AJ Minter, who recently completed rehab for discomfort in his left hip, threw a bullpen session on Saturday. The lefty plans to pitch at least two more innings before being eligible for minor league rehab outings.
As for roster moves, Joey Garber was removed from injured reserve and sent down to Triple-A Syracuse, while Eric Wagaman was permanently moved to Syracuse after clearing waivers.
