Mets move starter to new role in bullpen to begin season
The New York Mets revealed their starting pitching plans to begin the regular season on Saturday.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets will enter the regular season with six starting pitchers on their active roster, but they won’t use a six-man rotation.
At least not right away. Left-hander Sean Manaea will begin the year in a piggyback role in the bullpen, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza revealed on Saturday morning before New York’s penultimate exhibition game of the spring. The plan in the rotation to start the season, for at least two turns through, is as follows.
Freddy Peralta will pitch on Opening Day against the Pirates on Thursday. David Peterson and Nolan McLean will then start the next two games of the season against Pittsburgh following Friday’s off day. Then, in St.
Louis beginning on Monday, the Mets will hand the ball to Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga and Peralta for a second time. That order would then continue into the club’s four-game series in San Francisco: Peterson, McLean, Holmes and Senga. With another off day on the Mets’ schedule at that point, before returning to Citi Field for the club’s first full homestand of the season (on April 6), the Mets would be lined up for Peralta to pitch in Game 11.