QUEENS, NY — Sean Manaea is still waiting for his first opportunity to get into a game out of the bullpen this season, but remains adamant that his lagging
Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea works during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sean Manaea is still waiting for his first opportunity to get into a game out of the bullpen this season, but remains adamant that his lagging velocity is going to come back.
The veteran southpaw lost out on a spot in the Mets’ five-man rotation out of spring training following an inconsistent showing that was headlined by a dip in his fastball. Normally averagingAs of Sunday morning, the 34-year-old told amNewYork that his fastball was hitting “like 90 to 92” mph, but then it got back down to around 88 mph. A noticeable drop like that is normally cause for concern about a big-league pitcher’s health. But Manaea is coming off an injury-riddled campaign in which oblique and elbow issues kept him sidelined until July. He was not the same hero from the 2024 second half and postseason, as a 5.64 ERA ultimately led to his demotion to the bullpen down the stretch.But he maintains that he is feeling healthy, which is the main priority at the start of the 2026 campaign, and that the bump in fastball velocity is not too far behind. “I’ve pitched with lower velocity,” Manaea said. “Ideally, I don’t want to be there, but at the end of the day, I feel healthy. If that’s the case, I know the velo will come back up. The only thing I can worry about is staying healthy.” Manaea last threw competitively on the last day of spring training, which was Monday, meaning he completed the usual five days of rest that starting pitchers require. Manager Carlos Mendoza said on Sunday morning, prior to the Mets’ opening series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, that “any day” is now good for him to get into some game action as a long-relief option.Joe Pantorno has been the executive sports editor of amNewYork since 2020. He covers the New York Mets and is a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America . He is also a member of the Pro Hockey Writers’ Association and has covered the New York Islanders for nearly a decade. His previous stops include Bleacher Report and Metro New York, while his work has been featured in the New York Post, Newsday, and Yahoo! Sports.Mets bounceback candidates Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea to make spring training debutsNew Yorkers filed more federal unfair labor standards cases than any other state last year How many of the newest NYC subway trains will have open gangways? MTA says that depends on numerous challenges City’s ‘Pothole Blitz’ resumes on Saturday for third straight weekend of repairing dangerous craters on roadways across QueensPulitzer winner John Patrick Shanley debuts new play in NYC
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