The New York Mets are opening the season with a creative pitching strategy, placing Sean Manaea in a hybrid “piggyback” role. The decision offers an early look at how the club plans to manage its rotation while addressing workload concerns ahead of Opening Day.

Rather than using Manaea as a traditional starter, the Mets will deploy him behind another pitcher, allowing him to cover multiple innings. This approach provides flexibility while helping the team manage innings early in the season.

The Mets will begin the year with a five-man rotation consisting of Freddy Peralta, David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Kodai Senga. Manaea, meanwhile, will remain stretched out while operating in a versatile role.

SNY Mets shared insight from manager Carlos Mendoza on X, formerly Twitter, where he explained how the strategy will unfold to begin the season.

“The way we see it is he’s taking that turn right now and probably two times through the rotation because of the schedule and the off days — we don’t feel like we need a sixth starter yet, and he’s going to make starts for us.”

Mendoza emphasized that early off days eliminate the need for a sixth starter. As a result, Manaea is expected to remain in this role through at least the first two turns of the rotation.

ESPN's Jorge Castillo also provided additional details on the platform, outlining how the Mets’ pitching plan will function early in the season.

“Sean Manaea will begin the season in the Mets' bullpen in a piggyback role, manager Carlos Mendoza said. The Mets will go at least two rotation turns before Manaea gets a start.

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The rotation:

Freddy Peralta

David Peterson

Nolan McLean

Clay Holmes

Kodai Senga”

Ultimately, the Mets’ decision to use Manaea in a piggyback role reflects a strategic, forward-thinking approach to roster management. By prioritizing flexibility and workload control early in the season, New York positions itself to keep its rotation fresh while maximizing pitching depth as the year unfolds.