Sometimes, the most painful battles are the ones we fight in silence, behind closed doors and empty bullpens. For New York Mets starter Sean Manaea, this spring was supposed to be the beginning of something big.
A fresh three-year, $75 million contract had secured his place in Flushing, and expectations were sky-high. But just as his arm began to warm for the grind ahead, fate delivered a sharp twist—an oblique strain that abruptly hit pause on his season before it even began.
It wasn’t just any oblique strain. The injury, sustained in late February, was labeled “significant,” and its impact was immediate.
Manaea was shut down, his throwing halted just as the season’s rhythm was starting to build. And just when things seemed to be turning, another setback in early April silenced even the faintest optimism.
What followed was a stretch of quiet frustration—rehab sessions, lingering doubts, and the heavy weight of falling behind.
Stuck in neutral while others pass you by
While Manaea’s journey paused, fellow rehabbing pitcher Frankie Montas advanced, gradually inching toward his own return. For a competitor like Manaea, there’s an emotional toll in watching from the shadows, sidelined as teammates inch back onto the mound.
Time is unforgiving in baseball, and injuries often leave more than physical scars—they chip away at confidence, at identity.
Still, the lefty refused to wallow. He stayed with the team, worked with trainers, and kept grinding through the dull repetition of recovery.
When setbacks came, he swallowed them, tightened his resolve, and pushed forward—if only inches at a time. Baseball’s version of quicksand, the injured list can devour seasons whole if the player lets it. Manaea, instead, chose to fight.
Finally, a reason to believe again
Then came a flicker of light—a breakthrough in what has felt like an endless tunnel. On Monday, for the first time since the injury, it was announced that Manaea stepped onto a mound and delivered 15 pitches.
Manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed the milestone ahead of the game, and though it may sound small, for a pitcher recovering from an oblique strain, it’s monumental.
The mound session signals the first real sign of traction in his return. He’s not ready yet—far from it. More mound work lies ahead, followed by a rigorous rehab assignment.
But for the first time in months, hope feels real. Manaea can feel the dirt under his spikes again, the ball snapping from his fingers, the faint echo of possibility in each throw.
What the Mets are missing without him
Before the injury, last year, Manaea was a stabilizing force in New York’s rotation. He went 12-6 in 2024, with a strong 3.47 ERA over 181.2 innings.
More impressively, he struck out 184 batters—proof of a lefty who could command, compete, and deliver with consistency. He wasn’t just a solid arm; he was a frontline starter on a team that desperately needed one.
In a season already riddled with uncertainty, his absence has left a noticeable void. But things are starting to look up.
There’s still a long road ahead, but he’s walking it
Think of Manaea’s recovery like scaling a steep mountain trail with no visibility—you take each step hoping the fog lifts and reveals the summit.
Every bullpen session, every rehab checkpoint, is a foothold. Monday’s mound work wasn’t the peak, but it was a milestone—proof that he’s climbing again.
The journey toward a July return is still long. But now, with a ball back in his hand and dirt back on his cleats, the lefty has momentum. For Sean Manaea, after months of stillness and setbacks, the climb has resumed.
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