New York Mets shut down Sean Manaea after injury setback

The New York Mets are shutting down left-handed starting pitcher Sean Manaea after a setback in his injury rehab.

Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game six 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 will be without one of their top starting pitchers for at least a while longer.

On Tuesday afternoon ahead of their second game at LoanDepot Park in Miami against the Marlins, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shared with reporters that left-handed starter Sean Manaea (right oblique strain) had a setback in his injury rehab.

Carlos Mendoza says Sean Manaea experienced discomfort while ramping up and an MRI revealed inflammation in his oblique and he received a PRP injection.

He will be shut down for two weeks. pic.twitter.com/Rfj6SndFwz

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 1, 2025

Per Mendoza, Manaea experienced some discomfort as he was beginning to ramp up in his rehab. As a result, the Mets sent him for another MRI which showed inflammation. Manaea received a PRP injection and is shut down from throwing for two weeks.

When asked what this means for Manaea's timeline to return, Mendoza confirmed that this likely puts the southpaw on track to come back in mid-to-late May. This is due to the fact that Manaea will have to build up as a starter after he begins throwing again. This is a big loss for the Mets, who initially expected Manaea to return by late-April.

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Manaea first hurt his oblique in the first two weeks of spring training. As long as he can avoid any further setbacks, the lefty should be able to make it back in time to make an impact in the Mets' rotation like he did in 2024.

The Mets re-signed Manaea to a three-year, $75 million contract in the offseason after he had a big year in Queens last season. In 32 starts, Manaea went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and 184 strikeouts across 181.2 innings. Manaea emerged as the Mets' ace of their starting staff in the second half of 2024 as well.

In addition to Manaea, right-handed starter Frankie Montas is also on the shelf with a high-grade lat strain. Montas went down with his injury in the first week of spring camp, and was given a PRP injection and a 6-8 week shut down period. Montas is expected to be back by June if he avoids setbacks in his rehab.