Sean Manaea DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique) will throw live batting practice on Thursday, which will be the first time he has faced live hitters since straining his left oblique in spring training, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Manaea was placed on the 15-day injured list way back on Feb. 24 and has yet to make his 2025 debut after a resurgent 2024 campaign for the Mets. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw will probably require a couple live BP sessions before he's cleared to go on what will be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. Barring a setback as he ramps up his left arm, Manaea could make his season debut in late June. Manaea's lower arm slot last year gave him better control of his pitches and helped him to a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 184 strikeouts and 63 walks in 181 2/3 innings over 32 regular-season starts. A repeat of that performance will be more difficult coming off injury.

New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique) will throw another bullpen session on Tuesday, according to Newsday's Laura Albanese. Now that Manaea is throwing off the mound again, his next step will be to face live hitters before eventually being cleared to go on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw started a throwing program in the middle of April after receiving platelet-rich plasma injections in his injured oblique. If Manaea avoids setbacks once he starts pitching in games again, he should be able to return to New York's starting rotation in June, but there's no clear timetable for his return. Fantasy managers that have been stashing him are just hoping he can recapture the form he had in 2024 after he made a mechanical adjustment with his arm slot. The former first-rounder had a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with a 24.9% strikeout rate in 32 regular-season starts.

New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique) is up to throwing from 120 feet on flat ground and is set to play catch off the mound next, according to NorthJersey.com's Andrew Tredinnick. A strained right oblique has kept Manaea away from the big-league team so far in 2025, and he needed a platelet-rich plasma injection before restarting his throwing program in the middle of April. Now that the 33-year-old southpaw is getting close to throwing off a mound, he could be close to facing live hitters as he continues to build up his arm. Still, in a best-case scenario, Manaea most likely won't make his season debut until sometime in June, so fantasy managers stashing him must remain patient. A mechanical adjustment helped the former first-rounder have a career resurgence in his first year with the Mets in 2024, as he went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 184 K's and 63 walks in 32 regular-season starts.