The New York Mets have sustained a significant blow prior to the commencement of the new season in the form of Sean Manaea’s injury. As such, the Mets now find themselves in a precarious position regarding their pitching spot despite opting to recruit eight league-tested pitchers in the offseason. Meanwhile, Manaea’s abrupt relegation to the sidelines has raised doubts among fans, who are eager to know more about the MLB veteran’s condition.
Here are all the available details about the 33-year-old pitcher’s latest ailment.
What happened to Sean Manaea?
Sean Manaea has suffered from a muscle injury, diagnosed as a right oblique strain, and will consequently miss the Mets’ Opening Day.
The issue first came to light when Manaea arrived at the Mets camp. Despite complaining of soreness in his right midsection, the former Oakland Athletics player continued with his bullpen sessions per usual. While his situation did not worsen over time, it failed to show any signs of improvement as well. As such, Sean Manaea decided to undergo an MRI last weekend to make an informed assessment about any underlying injury.
The tests ultimately revealed the muscle injury, ruling Sean Manaea out for two to three weeks. Manaea expressed his frustration regarding his unfortunate condition, stating, “From my end, it’s very, very disappointing. I hate being injured. If I’m not out there pitching, doing my job, it sucks. I’m going to do everything I can to get there as healthy and as quick as possible.” (via MLB.com)
Nevertheless, Sean Manaea reinstated his faith in recovering from the injury, noting, “I’d rather miss a couple of weeks now, the beginning of the season, instead of doing something and then missing a significant amount of time.” Manaea is expected to return to the playing field around mid-to-late April.
With both Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas sidelined due to injury, the Mets only have three rotation locks. Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson are the frontrunners to provide coverage for the injured pitchers. Meanwhile, the Mets also have Paul Blackburn, Griffin Canning, and Tylor Megill in their ranks as possible replacements.
