The nine-year veteran has yet to make his 2025 debut with New York after suffering an injury in his elbow. He was making his way through a rehab start with the Syracuse Mets on June 19, but he did not finish his start after re-aggravating the the injury.

According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Manaea played catch today and is on track to make his next scheduled rehab start. Mendoza and the Mets anticipate that their veteran starter will come back at some point in July, hopefully before the All-Star break.

Getting Senga and Manaea back into the starting rotation is New York’s top priority. After losing their series against the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this week, the Mets’ lead in the National League East is gone. Getting his best pitchers back on the mound would be a big boost for Mendoza.

Article Continues BelowMontas’ start with the team is an encouraging sign. If he, Senga, Manaea, and Clay Holmes can play together, pitching is not a big concern for New York at the trade deadline. However, the odds of all three pitchers playing well is slim.

Mendoza and David Stearn figure to be aggressive in the trade market. With the Phillies fighting them for the top spot in their division, the Mets are under pressure.

After signing Juan Soto this winter, New York was an early World Series favorite. Despite a hot start to the season, they now sit behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in the NL playoff picture. Mendoza’s team is one more bad week away from competing for a Wild Card berth.

The Mets have a little less than half the season left to figure things out. The first step of the process is getting their starters back. Manaea and Senga are a couple of weeks away from returning to the majors. Once they do, Mendoza can work on preparing his team for a deep postseason run.