New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea has been bothered by elbow problems in the past. Manaea is working hard this offseason to return to full-strength. The Mets hurler seems to be pleased with where his health is currently.
“Last week at a charity event in Brooklyn, Sean Manaea said the loose body in his left elbow, which kept him on the IL earlier this summer, is “a thing of the past.” He didn't ultimately require surgery and hopes to play the rest of his career without needing an operation on it,” MLB.com writer Anthony DiComo posted to X, formerly Twitter.
Mets fans are probably pleased to hear that. New York missed the Major League Baseball Playoffs in 2025, which was inexcusable to them. New York stumbled down the stretch of the season, and lost its playoff spot to the Cincinnati Reds. This is in despite of the fact the Mets had slugger Juan Soto and other power hitters.
Manaea finished his 2025 season with a 5.64 ERA, in 15 game appearances. He posted 12 starts. The Mets finished the campaign with a 83-79 record.
Mets expect more in 2026
New York fans have massive expectations for the club in 2026. When the Mets signed Soto as a free agent before the 2025 season, the fans expected New York to contend for a World Series.
The Mets started the process of change this offseason, when they traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in recent days. Nimmo said he was surprised by the trade.
“It definitely took me as a shock,” Nimmo said, per MLB.com. “We had kind of built this life centered around that we were going to be New York Mets until the very end. … I needed to know that the Rangers were committed to trying to win a World Series. That this wasn't a rebuild that I was coming into. That this was somewhere that I was extremely wanted and was somewhere that I felt like we would be competing for World Series titles, year in and year out. [Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young] made that abundantly clear.”
The Mets could soon be involved in more trades. Pitcher Kodai Senga is rumored to be on the move this offseason. Manaea's return to the starting rotation would help offset the potential loss of Senga.
Time will tell if the Mets can return to the postseason in 2026.
