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New York Mets Likely to Place Sean Manaea in Bullpen After the Losing Streak Reaches 8 Games

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By David Desa | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 1:56 PM ET

In the strange, often cruel, world of September baseball, the New York Mets find themselves in a precarious position that feels both undeserved and entirely of their own making. Waking up on a Sunday morning, they somehow, someway, still possess a Wild Card spot. This isn’t a testament to their recent performance but rather a gift from the baseball gods, delivered via losses by the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds. The Mets, meanwhile, are mired in a season-high eight-game losing streak, a skid that has fans in Queens pulling their hair out and sportswriters scrambling for explanations.

The freefall has been dramatic. Since June 13th, the team has posted a dismal 31-49 record, a collapse that has turned a season of promise into a daily exercise in anxiety. Pinpointing a single cause is a fool’s errand, but you don’t have to look much further than the starting rotation to see the primary source of the bleed. Big names with big expectations, like Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and Clay Holmes, have been particularly underwhelming, their struggles forming the backbone of this brutal stretch.

In a move that speaks volumes, Senga accepted an optional assignment to Triple-A Syracuse, where he promptly delivered a strong start on Saturday. It’s a reset, a chance to find his rhythm away from the glaring lights of the big-league pressure cooker. But for Manaea and Holmes, the New York Mets are cooking up something different, a new strategy born of desperation and a need to optimize every remaining inning.

How a Pitching Shake-Up Could Save the Mets’ Season

As the season winds down, every game feels like a must-win, and the New York Mets are finally ready to shake things up. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo dropped a nugget of information that has the fanbase buzzing: the team is considering a “piggyback” strategy for Tuesday’s critical game against the San Diego Padres, featuring both Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea.

Manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed the chatter before Sunday’s game. Holmes is slated to start, with Manaea potentially coming in from the bullpen to follow him. The final decision, Mendoza noted, hinges on how the bullpen is used in the preceding games. It’s a fluid situation, a tactical chess match where one wrong move could be fatal. This isn’t just a minor tweak; it’s a fundamental shift from the standard rotation, a clear signal that the front office knows the current approach is a sinking ship.

Both Manaea and Holmes have experience working out of the bullpen, which gives this plan a logical foundation. It’s a creative solution that could also serve as an audition for how these arms might be deployed if—and it’s a big if—the Mets can claw their way into the postseason. In a short Wild Card series, you ride your hot hands. Right now, those hands belong to Nolan McLean, David Peterson, and the impressive rookie Brandon Sproat. A piggyback role for Manaea and Holmes could be their ticket to contributing in a high-stakes October environment.

Why The Six-Man Rotation Is No Longer Working

For weeks, the New York Mets have leaned on a six-man rotation, a strategy necessitated by a grueling stretch of 26 games in 27 days. It was a way to keep arms fresh, to survive the marathon. But the schedule is about to ease up. With off-days on the next two Mondays, the six-man setup is no longer a necessity; it’s a liability. Sticking with it would mean fewer starts for the team’s most effective pitchers, a luxury the Mets simply cannot afford.

This potential move to a piggyback system is an admission that something has to change. It’s a gamble, but sticking with a failing formula is a guaranteed loss. Time is running out. If the team moves forward with this plan, Peterson would likely take the mound on Wednesday against the Padres. Then comes the question of Thursday. Do they give Jonah Tong another shot, or do they bring back Senga from his Syracuse exile?

The decisions made in the coming days will ripple through the final weeks of the season. Getting the pitching alignment right could be the difference between a heroic last-gasp playoff berth and a bitter, premature end to the season. The clock is ticking, and for the New York Mets, the time for half-measures is over. It’s a desperate, emotional, and perhaps brilliant roll of the dice.

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

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