The New York Mets are reaching for creativity, hoping an unorthodox plan can salvage their fading playoff hopes.
Once expected to stabilize the rotation, Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea have instead become symbols of this season’s unpredictability.
Manaea’s 2025 campaign has been wrecked by oblique and elbow injuries that kept him sidelined for long stretches.
When healthy enough to pitch, he’s been wildly inconsistent, posting a troubling 5.76 ERA that has frustrated the organization.
He’s allowed nine runs over his last 8.2 innings, including four home runs during that painful stretch.
While his strikeout numbers remain respectable, Manaea’s command has often vanished at critical moments, leaving him vulnerable to damage.
Holmes, meanwhile, began 2025 looking like a revelation after the Mets spent big to convert him into a starter.
His power sinker and revamped arsenal baffled hitters early, offering stability when the rotation desperately needed it during a shaky spring.
However, second-half turbulence has eroded that progress, pushing his ERA up to 3.75 after weeks of mounting struggles.
Holmes has allowed seven runs in his last 8.2 innings, also issuing six walks during that concerning slump.
Internal struggles pushing Mets to get creative
With Holmes and Manaea faltering, Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat have been the only reliable arms left standing.
Their consistency has been a rare bright spot, and McLean was able to stop an ugly eight-game losing streak on Sunday.
The imbalance has drained the dugout’s energy, with each loss tightening the tension around an already weary pitching staff.
Desperate to find answers, the Mets will try a piggyback strategy on Tuesday, looking to redistribute their thin resources.
Holmes will open the game as the starter, and Manaea will follow in a planned long-relief appearance.
The goal is to let each pitcher work in shorter bursts while giving the overtaxed bullpen some breathing room.
It’s unconventional, but the Mets hope it can reduce stress on their arms while maximizing their combined innings.
The approach acknowledges their current reality: neither pitcher is effective enough to carry games alone.
This strategy could also help both maintain routines, offering structure instead of the chaos that has surrounded them lately.
If it works, it might give the Mets a good chance to win because, in theory, the pitchers shouldn’t be exposed to the opposing lineup more than three times.
Time running out for Holmes and Manaea
Manaea’s prior experience as a swingman/reliever could be key.
Back in 2023, he appeared in 37 games and started 10, proving he could adapt on short notice effectively.
That adaptability is exactly what the Mets are banking on as they search desperately for consistency this September.
If both rediscover their best selves, the Mets could finally steady a rotation that’s been unraveling since midsummer.
But if they fail, the Mets may see their playoff dreams dissolve as quickly as they once appeared.
The club currently clings to the final Wild Card spot, but their margin for error shrinks by the day.
Right now, the season feels like a car skidding on ice, with control slipping further from their grasp.
The piggyback plan will keep both pitchers focused and involved.
Holmes and Manaea don’t need perfection—just enough dependability to stop the bleeding and reignite fading confidence in Queens.
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