With starter Frankie Montas already dealing with a strained lat, the New York Mets pitching rotation took another hit as Sean Manaea suffered a strained right oblique. With this injury, the veteran left-hander might not be available to pitch on Opening Day. Worst yet, he could start the season on the injured list.
Even Mets manager Carlos Mendoza couldn’t give a definitive answer regarding Manaea’s recovery timetable. However, pitchers dealing with a strained oblique could be sidelined for up to two months. Missing that much time isn’t a good start for a pitcher who signed a three-year, $75 million free-agent contract with the Mets.
With Manaea sidelined indefinitely, the Mets could seek a trade for a starting pitcher to take some load off starting pitchers Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga. However, in doing so, they must find a pitcher who could compensate for Manaea’s production.
Manaea had a 3.47 ERA and 3.83 FIP in 182 2/3 innings for the Mets last season. Based on the market, some intriguing trade targets for the Mets are Erick Fedde and Dylan Cease.
-Lance Fernandez