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Manaea gave up three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk over 2.2 innings during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. According to Max Goodman of NJ.com, the left-hander averaged 89 mph with his fastball but said he isn't concerned by the lower velocity.
Manaea averaged 91.9 mph with his fastball last season, but he was limited to 15 appearances due to elbow issues and struggled to a 5.64 ERA. Pitchers will often experience a lower velocity during spring training while building up, so it's not necessarily a major concern. However, seeing Manaea's fastball regain some zip before Opening Day would go a long toward reassuring fantasy GMs thinking about using a late-round pick on the veteran southpaw.
Mets' Sean Manaea: Rediscovers arm slot over offseason
Rotowire
Manaea worked with Tread Athletics this offseason and believes he's rediscovered his ideal arm slot, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Manaea experienced a breakthrough in 2024 with a lowered arm slot, but he struggled in 2025 after lowering his arm slot even further. He's now got it back closer to where it was in 2024 and said it's "definitely cleaned up and feels a lot better now." The left-hander dealt with a loose body in his elbow last season and didn't have surgery, so the possibility exists that the issue will resurface in 2026. However, Manaea is fully healthy right now and feels good about where he is early on in Mets camp.
Manaea said last week that he did not require surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow and he considers the injury "a thing of the past," Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
The southpaw was first diagnosed with a loose body in his elbow in June, but he missed minimal time and it was determined during an examination after the season that surgery was not necessary. There's a risk that the elbow issue will crop up again in the future, but for the time being, Manaea has a clean bill of health. The 33-year-old posted a 5.64 ERA over 60.2 frames for the Mets in 2025, though that came with a 75:12 K:BB.
Manaea will be evaluated soon to determine whether he will need surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports.
Manaea was diagnosed with loose bodies in his pitching elbow in June, which set back his rehab from an oblique strain at the time. He made his season debut just before the All-Star break, stayed off the injured list from that point forward and finished the year with the elbow feeling well. However, Manaea posted a 5.64 ERA over 12 starts and three relief appearances, and it's possible the elbow was a factor in his struggles. More should be known about Manaea's status in the coming weeks.
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