Mets manager reveals rehab status of Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea

Ahead of Saturday's game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza gave an update on his rehabbing pitchers.

Oct 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) relieves pitcher Sean Manaea (59) in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have seen remarkable production from their short-handed pitching staff this season.

Despite spring training injuries to starters Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat), the Mets rotation boasts a league-best 2.82 ERA. But with Kodai Senga landing on the 15-day IL with a hamstring strain, all eyes have returned to Manaea and Montas as they work through their rehab assignments.

Read More: Mets manager reveals Kodai Senga injury severity, return timeline

For Manaea, the current focus is his health. "Where he's at in his rehab process, it's more about how he's feeling afterwards," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza explained. "It's more about as he's increasing that pitch count, how is he going to feel the next few days."

Carlos Mendoza on what he's looking for from Sean Manaea's next rehab start:

"Where he's at in his rehab process it's more how he's feeling afterwards... At this point it's more as he's increasing that pitch count how is he going to feel the next few days" pic.twitter.com/ERC4wuub0B

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 14, 2025

While Mendoza stated that Manaea is still "earlier" in the process, Montas is approaching the end of his rehab assignment and has yet to see any encouraging results.

Montas has put strung multiple concerning starts in a row, and despite his improving health, the Mets will have a difficult decision to make when he's ready to return. According to Mendoza, the righty will have one more start in Triple-A before the team comes to this decision.

"We haven't seen the results, but physically he continues to say he's fine," Mendoza said.

Carlos Mendoza says Frankie Montas will get one more Triple-A start before the Mets make a decision:

"We haven't seen the results, but physically he continues to say he's fine" pic.twitter.com/9KXJjqbSW4

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 14, 2025

In his latest start, Montas went just 1.2 innings, allowing seven hits and eight earned runs on 53 pitches. He also allowed his eighth home run in the last three games and only managed one strikeout. In five rehab starts, the 32-year-old has a 13.17 ERA and 10 Ks across 13.2 innings.

Read More: Frankie Montas gets rocked in rehab start in Mets concern

In his early starts, the results weren't nearly as important as reaching his pitch counts without setback. But now that Montas's ramp-up period is over and he is nearing the end of the rehab stint, his inability to produce outs is certainly concerning.

According to Will Sammon, Montas said he would be open to any role that would help the club when he returns. He added that he feels the rehab process went well, saying it is "the strongest [his] arm and shoulder has felt in a while."

Montas will make one more rehab start, Carlos Mendoza said. Montas said he is open to whatever role is best for the club and that he feels good physically. "This rehab process was actually pretty good. This is probably the strongest my arm and shoulder has felt in a while.” https://t.co/8MIWmJnCx4

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) June 14, 2025

With Paul Blackburn struggling in his relief appearance on Friday night, perhaps Montas could serve as the long-man out of the pen and Blackburn could move back into the starting rotation. Results aside, both Mendoza and David Stearns have reaffirmed the importance of seeing progress in the health of both Montas and Manaea before forecasting their return to the big league roster.