President of baseball operations David Stearns and manager Carlos Mendoza met with the media today to discuss the state of the organization.

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The Mets’ Rotation

Mendoza confirmed David Peterson is moving to the bullpen starting Sunday. He will not be available until then. This situation is fluid and will be dictated by performance. The Mets recognize that the longer he is a reliever, the harder it will be to stretch him back out.

Carlos Mendoza said that Sean Manaea will be taking Peterson’s spot in the rotation, though it may come in the form of bulk appearances after an opener. Since early May, Manaea’s velocity has seemed to have returned as he has averaged 91.4 miles per hour on his fastball, topping out at 93.9 miles per hour. His increased velocity has improved his entire pitch arsenal, and over his last four appearances, he has a 3.09 ERA, 2.29 FIP, and 1.37 WHIP. He is running a 26.9% strikeout rate, 31.7% chase rate, and 25% whiff rate.

Mendoza said that Kodai Senga feels good after his rehab start. He will throw a bullpen session and throw at least one more rehab start. He does not have a guaranteed spot in the rotation, as his performance will be heavily in consideration.

Mendoza also stated that Jonah Tong will either take the start the next turn around or pitch bulk after an opener depending on the lineup he is facing and the shape of the bullpen.

Stearns said that most teams have injuries to the rotation and find ways to work around them. Using openers, prospects, and changing roles are all part of a long season.

The Offense

While Mendoza recognized injuries have impacted the lineup, there are still thirteen big league players on the team that need to perform. It is their job to get them right.

Francisco Alvarez hit earlier today, is catching bullpens, doing throwing and blocking programs, and feels good. He could play in rehab games as early as next week. The Mets have to build him back to catching full games. They have not decided if that will fully take place in the minors or if they will ease him in with major league off days.

Francisco Lindor has been making progress but does not have a timetable yet.

Stearns said Luis Robert Jr. has had a series of injections and is working through strength and conditioning as well as mobility exercises, and once he can do those without pain, he will be able to return to baseball activities.

Jorge Polanco seems to be trending positively. He will do back-to-back games, have a day off, and if all goes well, he could return by the next road trip.

David Stearns was asked about why Mark Vientos and Brett Baty have not shown sustained success and said that in most situations, the staff has recognized why their struggles have happened and are making the necessary changes to fix those issues.

Stearns reiterated that they still believe they have the talent in the organization to be a good offensive team, but to this point they have not gotten the type of production from the players on the field that they expect.

When asked about prospects like Ryan Clifford, David Stearns said they will not get a look solely based off team record. The team will not call them up before they are ready. There are multiple players in the minor leagues, though, that he could see contributing in the majors before the end of the season.

The Team Record

Stearns recognized that the Mets have dug a hole, and while it is not insurmountable, they need to play much better to get out of it. He mentioned that players who have contributed in the past are not contributing and players who they expected to take a step forward have not.

When asked about the four starters currently on the injured list, Stearns recognized it as a portion of why the team has struggled and that it has put players in position they did not expect to be in, but stated that it is the organization’s and his responsibility to overcome that and they need to get it done.

When asked about what players could be traded at the deadline, Stearns said that the Mets are “not there yet”.

Stearns was asked about the impact of the new coaching staff and said that while they will not be public about every adjustment made, he has felt that the staff has done a good job reigning in players when they get off the rails in their respective disciplines.

Stearns was asked if the Mets could look to make trade moves early to add reinforcements and said while it is possible players could come available to trade for earlier than usual, that has not happened yet.

Stearns reiterated that he has been consistent with what he has said about Mendoza and he is going to stick with what he has said.