The Mets left-hander Sean Manaea attributes a large share of his improved form to a single pitch: the sweeper. After transitioning into a heavier-usage, higher-leverage role, Manaea has focused on throwing the pitch harder and committing to its shape rather than aiming for surgical placement. His remarks came around two recent Seattle matchups that featured mixed team outcomes but offered encouraging individual signs.
Across his most recent outings Manaea has shown measurable progress. Over his last five appearances — beginning May 10 — he has posted a 2.55 ERA, a stretch that convinced the club to shift him into more significant innings. Those outings included a five-inning bulk relief turn in a 3-2 game that extended to 10 innings, and another start where he threw for the Mets in an 8-3 loss. Even in defeats, both the pitcher and manager emphasized positives: better velocity readings, lengthier stints on the mound and a pitch that is beginning to dictate at-bats.
What changed: the sweeper and approach
Manaea described the adjustment in straightforward terms: throw the pitch with conviction and velocity. Instead of trying to precisely locate the offering, he has prioritized generating action and selling the pitch to hitters. In one recent appearance he deployed the sweeper 21 times out of 63 total pitches, a sign the pitch is becoming a reliable weapon rather than a situational oddity.
The strategy produced observable results. The coaching staff and manager Carlos Mendoza noted an uptick in live fire: velocity spikes into the low 90s and Manaea’s longest outing of the season to date. Mendoza framed the performance as progress despite the scoreboard, pointing to the combination of length and heat as encouraging indicators of his utility in both bulk-relief and higher-leverage spots.
Role transition and bullpen dynamics
Manaea’s move into a more prominent role involved a swap in the rotation of bullpen roles: he replaced David Peterson in a sequence that increased his exposure to tougher late-inning situations. The team has used him both after an opener and as a long reliever, which allows the Mets to extract several innings from a left-hander who can now mix in a dependable breaking pitch. That usage pattern reflects a broader emphasis on flexibility and matchup-driven deployment across the staff.
Roster rehabilitation: Jorge Polanco’s path back
On the position-player side, Jorge Polanco is progressing toward a potential activation after a multi-week absence. Polanco was placed on the injured list on April 15 with left Achilles bursitis after originally dealing with a right wrist contusion. The plan calls for him to make a scheduled start with Triple-A Syracuse as the second half of a back-to-back assignment, and the club expects that outing to factor into a decision on whether he returns to the big-league roster later in the week.
When Polanco rejoins the Mets he is likely to serve primarily as a designated hitter, but Mendoza emphasized the club’s desire for positional versatility. Even if Polanco is medically cleared, the team may wait for additional game reps to ensure he has enough at-bats and is comfortable in the field; if the timing and workload align he could be active as early as Friday, according to the manager.
Positional considerations and activation timing
The Mets are balancing two needs with Polanco’s return: immediate lineup impact as a DH and the contingency of first-base defense should injuries or game situations require it. Mendoza’s comments highlighted that activation decisions blend medical clearance with practical readiness — batting rhythm, defensive reps and matchups all matter alongside physical health.
Kodai Senga’s final rehab step and staff strikeout totals
Right-hander Kodai Senga is also nearing the end of a rehab sequence. He is scheduled to throw up to 85 pitches for Syracuse in what may be his final minor-league outing before rejoining the Mets. Senga has been sidelined since April 26 with lumbar spine inflammation, and the club will use pitch count and recovery response to determine his timeline for reintegration.
Meanwhile, the bigger-picture metrics for the staff remain notable. Through the first 60 games of the season the Mets’ pitchers had accumulated 560 strikeouts, a total that ranked first in the National League and second across Major League Baseball. That strikeout tally is the fourth-highest start in franchise history, trailing the 2026 Mets, who recorded 580 strikeouts in the same span. The figures reinforce the club’s reliance on swing-and-miss stuff as it manages injuries and role shifts.
Looking ahead
For Manaea the near-term focus is continuing to refine how he uses the sweeper within mixed-inning assignments, maintaining the aggressiveness that has prompted more innings and better results. For the Mets the intersecting recovery timelines of Polanco and Senga — combined with a staff that ranks among baseball’s leaders in strikeouts — frame a second-half picture in which health and the sustained performance of high-leverage arms will dictate how the team pieces together wins.
In practical terms, the organization will monitor bullpen workload, readiness for position players returning from injury and how Manaea’s increased role affects matchup planning. If his current approach holds, the lefthander could remain a key multi-inning piece whose sweeper helps tilt important at-bats in New York’s favor.
