The Mets had a rough weekend across the board, capped off by a 1-0 loss against the Athletics on Sunday. It’s difficult to point out any positives, especially after losing the final five games of the homestand. That said, Sean Manaea had his best performance of the season out of the bullpen in the series finale against his former team.

He was sharp, throwing three perfect innings with four strikeouts in relief of Freddy Peralta. His four-seam fastball and sweeper generated two strikeouts apiece. The velocity on his fastball remains a topic of conversation, as it peaked at 90.5 mph on Sunday. It appears that isn’t going to change much for the foreseeable future. But if he continues to adjust and find ways to remain effective on the mound, that’s a good thing for the Mets.

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Manaea has made four appearances this season, all as a reliever. In his four games, the 34-year-old pitched 12 innings, striking out 10, while walking six and allowing three earned runs. His season ERA sits at 2.25. While it’s still early in the season, he currently ranks in the 90th percentile in breaking run value at +2. His sweeper has been excellent, with hitters mustering just a .113 BA against the pitch and an xBA of .213. It’s been the pitch he’s relied on the most in 2026, followed by his four-seamer (.188 BA vs. .274 xBA).

Is there a possibility he could find himself in the starting rotation again? Before the season began, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he would remain in the bullpen for at least two rotation turns. The team is certainly beyond that point now.

It’s an interesting discussion point. At this stage of the season, it’s difficult to envision drastic changes being made. But in a few weeks, who knows? David Peterson has also seen a dip in velocity to start the season, pitching to a 9.64 ERA over his last 9 1/3 innings. Could a case be made that he could be better utilized in the bullpen at some point? After all, he has pitched in that role before.

For now, expect Manaea to remain in a piggyback role. Peterson has struggled, and Kodai Senga is coming off a rough start of his own. That won’t change much in the short term. But if Manaea continues to excel, maybe a change in roles could be on the cards in a few weeks.