Mets’ Sean Manaea activated off IL, with a catch

The Mets brought Manaea in for the sixth inning, relieving starter Clay Holmes. He took over with the Amazins down 2-0 and hurled three shutout innings to start his outing. The offense picked him up late, with an RBI double from Jeff McNeil forcing the bottom of the ninth. Manaea came out for the ninth and allowed the walk-off single.

The Mets lost to the Royals, but they are in a great position for the second half with Manaea back. He was their ace last year, with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts in the regular season. He was even better in the postseason, with a 3.24 ERA in three postseason starts. After signing a contract to stay in New York, he got hurt in spring training.

Manaea struck out seven batters on Sunday without allowing a walk. That continues a trend for his career, where he suppresses walks and strikes out a lot of hitters. If that continues in the second half, the Mets will be serious National League contenders.

Getting Manaea back is huge for the Mets, as they have dealt with serious pitching injuries. Kodai Senga made his first start in a month during the Royals series and was sensational again. Griffin Canning is out for the year with an Achilles injury, which highlights their need for a starter at the deadline. Manaea could be back in the starting rotation soon, which will be a huge boost.