Mets manager gives updates on starting pitchers Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas

The New York Mets' pitching staff has been one of the most pleasant surprises around the league to start the year.

The entire unit is second in Major League Baseball with a 2.91 ERA, while the starting pitchers hold a league-best 2.33 ERA. Their excellent start is even more impressive considering they are down two key arms: Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas.

Manaea (oblique) and Montas (lat) are both working back from injuries and have yet to pitch this season. However, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, the pair is progressing nicely in their rehab. The Mets' skipper told reporters that Manaea is ramping up and has thrown up to 105 feet, while Montas threw his third bullpen session on Tuesday and is "feeling good."

Manaea's right oblique strain occurred during the first couple weeks of spring training, but the lefty suffered a setback at the beginning of April that shut him down for two weeks. He received a PRP injection which delayed his expected return date from late-April to late-May. As this date approaches and Manaea continues to make progress, he could be back in the rotation within a few weeks barring any further setbacks.

Montas suffered his high-grade lat strain around the same time as Manaea, but remains behind his teammate in the rehab process and isn't expected to debut until early June. The righty hurler has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and New York took a chance on him this offseason, signing Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal. When healthy, Montas has shown solid upside, contributing a 13-9 record with a 3.37 ERA across 32 starts for the Oakland Athletics in 2021.

Manaea, on the other hand, was a standout for the Mets in 2024. After signing a three-year, $75 million contract and struggling to start the year, Manaea tweaked his delivery and lowered his ERA from 3.74 to 3.47 in his last 12 games of the regular season.