Sean Manaea Suffers New Setback in His Recovery
The New York Mets’ rotation has taken another hit this week. Sean Manaea, who was in rehabilitation for an oblique injury suffered during spring training, was diagnosed with a loose body in his left elbow. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza reported that Manaea felt discomfort in his elbow after his most recent rehabilitation start with the Triple-A Syracuse last Thursday. He received a cortisone injection on Monday and was suspended from throwing for 48 to 72 hours. Mets’ president of baseball operations, David Stearns, indicated that this discovery shouldn’t delay Manaea’s return for long. The goal is for Manaea to make his final rehabilitation start next Tuesday or Wednesday before joining the Mets’ rotation for his season debut.Manaea, who re-signed with the Mets for three years and $75 million during the winter, initially suffered an oblique strain in late February. He began throwing in mid-March, but experienced a setback two weeks later. The Mets estimated late May as the earliest possible return date, but Manaea didn’t begin his rehab assignment until June 6. He made three starts for the High-A Brooklyn, allowing eight runs in 6⅔ innings, before starting for Syracuse last week. Manaea allowed one run on two hits, seven strikeouts and no walks in 5⅓ innings, extending his workload to 62 pitches. Manaea reported that he began to feel pain at the end of the outing. He assumed the irritation was normal until the next day, when it didn’t subside.I’m very grateful that it’s nothing too serious. It’s like a silver lining. It sucks, but it’s the best-case scenario.
Sean Manaea
Both Stearns and Mendoza noted that surgery to remove the loose body is not currently on the table for Manaea, although Stearns and Manaea acknowledged that it is a possibility after the season. Manaea said he was informed that pitching with the loose body should not cause damage to the ligaments.I really have no frame of reference. I’ve never dealt with anything like this before. It’s definitely something new for me. I hope I’m not forcing every outing, but I think that’s the hope, that this will subside and I can pitch through it.
Sean Manaea
For now, the Mets seem to have avoided a severe blow to a rotation that has faced a tough June with considerable setbacks and injuries to Kodai Senga (hamstring) and Tylor Megill (elbow). The Mets began June with an ERA of 2.89, the second-best in the Major Leagues. This month, the group has compiled an ERA of 3.96, which ranks 12th. The combination of injuries, decline, and significant offensive struggles have produced nine losses in 10 games before Frankie Montas’ debut with the Mets on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. Montas will make his first start since signing a two-year, $34 million contract in the offseason, following a lackluster rehab assignment in which he recorded an ERA of 12.05 in 18⅔ innings across six starts. The Mets hope Manaea returns soon to stabilize a rotation that has been faltering in recent weeks.I think that remains to be determined. Sometimes you can pitch with these loose bodies throughout your career. And sometimes they need to be removed, so I don’t know if we have a definitive determination on that.
David Stearns
It’s not fun. I wish I were out there.
Sean Manaea
