Five weeks into the 2026 season, and the New York Mets’ starting rotation has already been stretched beyond its limits — just the latest indictment of president of baseball operations David Stearns’ roster construction.
For all the talk of depth and versatility, the Mets currently have three reliable starting pitchers, with the bottom two spots of the rotation an uncertain swirling vortex of calamity.
Kodai Senga was attempting to pitch through lower-back inflammation, which finally landed him on the 15-day IL earlier this week after a miserable three-start stretch in which he posted a swollen 17.28 ERA.
It forced David Peterson, who was demoted to the bullpen after he put up a 6.41 ERA across his first four starts of the year, back into the rotation. He was welcomed back rudely by the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night, yielding seven runs on five hits with three walks in just 3.2 innings.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on Wednesday night that they will have discussions about the southpaw’s role moving forward, but the organization is not necessarily teeming with other options.
Christian Scott, who walked five in 1.1 innings of work last week in his first MLB start since 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, is getting the ball on Friday in Los Angeles against the Angels. Mendoza was adamant on Tuesday that the 26-year-old righty will be a big part of the rotation moving forward, but obviously, the performances will have to be much better than his season debut.
Left-hander Sean Manaea, whose velocity still has not returned, has allowed 13 runs in his last 10 innings as a multi-inning reliever. Another bulk reliever, Tobias Myers, told amNewYork on Tuesday that he had not had any conversations with team management about potentially starting, though that could change.
“I think it might be more of a thing if we have injuries pop up,” Myers said. “But I don’t think anything will really change as far as me going to the rotation. And we got Christian, we got Jonah [Tong] down Triple-A, we got some arms that I think they fully trust. So I think switching my role may be a question for them, but I haven’t heard anything, so just keep doing what I’m doing.”
The 27-year-old right-hander has been reliable in his current role, posting a 2.33 ERA across 19.1 innings this season.
Tong, whom Myers mentioned, was a desperation call-up last season while the rotation imploded during the second half of the season. It was clear that the 22-year-old needed more seasoning in the minors, and he has a 5.68 ERA this season in Triple-A.
Jack Wenninger has a 2.16 ERA with 19 strikeouts across four starts in Triple-A this season, but his 16.2 innings this season with Syracuse are the only experience the 24-year-old righty has at this level. He is the only starter at Triple-A who has an ERA under 4.00.
The pickings are slim, and while the acquisition of Freddy Peralta gave the Mets the much-needed front-line starter to pair with Nolan McLean, the unwillingness to add bottom-of-the-rotation options feels like malpractice at this point.
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