Mets Make Pitching Decision After Loss to Padres

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Segun Ajayi | Last updated Jun 7, 2026 9:05 AM ET

The New York Mets have responded to their 5-2 loss to the San Diego Padres by adjusting their pitching plan for the series finale and naming Huascar Brazobán as the starter in a bullpen-style approach designed to reset the staff and push for a split in the series. The Mets fell to the Padres in the previous game after San Diego controlled key moments late and pulled away.

The loss exposed fatigue in New York’s pitching group, especially after multiple relievers handled heavy workloads across the series. The Padres capitalized on those late innings and forced the Mets into a quick turnaround decision for the final game.

Mets beat writer Laura Albanese reported that Huascar Brazobán will start the series finale, with Sean Manaea expected to step into the bulk role after working in both starting and relief assignments earlier in the year. The team sees the matchup as a shared pitching assignment rather than a traditional starter setup, as they try to manage arms while staying competitive against a strong Padres lineup.

Huascar Brazoban will start for the Mets tomorrow, presumably with Manaea as the bulk man.
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) June 7, 2026

Brazobán is one of the most dependable multi-role pitchers on the roster, handling both relief and short-start duties throughout the season. He has played a key hybrid role for the Mets this season and posted a 3.60 ERA across 40 innings, with 38 strikeouts, 17 walks and a 1.18 WHIP.

Brazobán has held opponents to a .231 batting average and allowed 16 earned runs across his appearances. He also recorded four holds, showing how the Mets use him in leverage situations rather than a fixed rotation slot.

The Mets have relied on Brazobán’s flexibility throughout the season. He has appeared in more than 30 games and has handled both opener duties and multi-inning relief assignments. His strikeout rate has remained steady at 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings, while his walk rate sits at 3.8 per nine innings, which has helped him maintain stability even with inconsistent usage.

New York Mets pitcher Huascar Brazobán (43) © John Jones-Imagn Images

The Mets entered the series finale trying to stabilize their pitching after San Diego’s offense tested their depth in the earlier matchup. The Padres applied steady pressure throughout the game that led to New York’s loss, and that result pushed the Mets toward a flexible pitching strategy for the final contest.

The decision reflects the Mets’ effort to preserve bullpen strength while remaining competitive in the series finale. New York will rely on a combined pitching approach as it looks to earn a split against San Diego and avoid placing additional strain on its relief corps.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: