Mets' Sean Manaea has an oblique strain, will likely miss Opening Day

More injury news just came crashing down for the Mets and their pitching staff, as star pitcher Sean Manaea has strained his right oblique according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Apr 24, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manea (59) pitches the ball against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have received more frustrating news on the pitching front, as Sean Manaea has reportedly strained his right oblique. The injury is expected to shut him down for weeks and most certainly will see him land on the IL for Opening Day.

This is the second long-term injury the Mets have suffered to their pitching staff this spring, as Frankie Montas sustained a lat injury that will keep him out for a while as well.

Manaea will be shut down for a couple of weeks. He's probably going to start the season on the IL.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 24, 2025

Regarding the injury, the 33-year-old southpaw revealed that he didn't feel any pain until he arrived at training camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

"Nothing really got any better, didn't really get worse, it kind of plateaued," Manaea said. "The worst part is it just never got any better."

Sean Manaea says he started to feel pain "right when he got here" and didn't feel the injury prior to camp. pic.twitter.com/bCGSF6ZD1r

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 24, 2025

Manaea is coming off one of the best seasons of his career; in 2024, he pitched a career-high 181.2 innings and logged a personal-best 3.47 ERA, while racking up 184 strikeouts. That breakout campaign helped him secure a 3-year, $75 million deal.

For the Mets, this is a crushing blow before they even head into March. Some were skeptical of their pitching staff heading into the season due to the lack of top-tier arms at the front end of the rotation, and now those concerns will grow even more.

As of right now, the starting pitchers that New York will have at their disposal will be Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson. There are the likes of Griffin Canning, Tylor Megill, and Paul Blackburn who likely have a shot at getting in the rotation to start the year. There is no word on whether or not top prospect Brandon Sproat can make the ball club out of spring, but that is considered a long-shot.

Read More: Steve Cohen: Mets’ pitching ‘will surprise people’

The silver lining for the Montas and Manaea injuries is that they are not season-ending injuries due to the severity of each injury. While they will miss the early going of the year, the Amazins' will have to adjust their sails for April and May. With an upgraded lineup and bullpen, they must be at their best to accumulate wins to start the year.

There are potential arms on the free agent market that the Mets can look into that can help fill the void for the time being as well.