Sean Manaea will make another rehab start before returning to Mets
Mets pitcher Sean Manaea during a spring training workout in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Lefthander Sean Manaea made the fifth start of his minor-league rehab assignment on Wednesday afternoon with Double-A Binghamton as he inches closer to a return from an oblique injury. Manager Carlos Mendoza said he will have a sixth rehab start before he is back.
Manaea threw 60 pitches in a three-inning appearance at Hartford. He allowed three runs (two earned), six hits, a walk, and struck out three.
A key player in the Mets' run to the 2024 NL Championship Series, Manaea had his rehab assignment paused last week after a loose body was discovered in his left elbow and he had a cortisone injection. It was again slowed this week when Binghamton-Hartford was rained out Tuesday. He could have appeared on regular rest in a game on Sunday, but Mendoza said the next opportunity will be Tuesday.
It might have been aspirational that he could have pitched the final game of the Subway Series against the Yankees at Citi Field this weekend, but Mendoza said the plan to make five rehab starts before his return has changed.
The Mets once again find themselves searching for an option for that Sunday Subway Series game. Clay Holmes had been scheduled to pitch until Tuesday’s Brewers-Mets game was rained out and he started the first game of Wednesday's double header.
Lindor finally gets All-Star nod
Francisco Lindor was elected the NL’s starting shortstop for the All-Star Game in Atlanta on July 15, it was announced Wednesday. Lindor beat out the other finalist, the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, by earning 56% on the balloting between them. Lindor, an All-Star for the fifth time, is the first Mets player to be elected an NL starter by fans since Yoenis Cespedes in 2016. It is his first All-Star selection as a Met.
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman earned the start over finalist Pete Alonso by winning the vote 61%-39%. Juan Soto was a finalist to start in the outfield, but his 13% didn’t get him a start. The outfield starters are Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. (21%) and Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (20%) and Kyle Tucker (19%).
Extra Bases
Righthanded starter Kodai Senga, who is coming back from a right hamstring strain, threw a bullpen session between games Wednesday. . . . Mendoza said that outfielder Jesse Winker, on a minor-league rehab assignment to come back from a right oblique strain, would play with Double-A Binghamton Wednesday and Thursday and have a day off Friday. . . . Two Mets prospects were selected for the July 12 All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta, righthander Jonah Tong and outfielder Carson Benge. Tong is a 2022 seventh-round pick and Benge was selected in the first round, 19th overall, in 2024.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
