TORONTO — The New York Mets plan to shuffle their rotation this weekend in Philadelphia to better align their best starters for the biggest games of the season down the stretch. If all goes according to plan, the Mets will have Luis Severino, David Peterson and Sean Manaea in line to pitch the penultimate series of the season in Atlanta — with Severino then lined up for the final game of the regular season if needed.
Manaea would be on tap for Game 1 of a Wild Card Series if the Mets advance that far.
To set this all up, the Mets will push Tylor Megill’s next start to Tuesday against the Nationals. Peterson will thus start Sunday against the Phillies, the first of back-to-back starts the lefty will make against first-place Philadelphia. (Severino will also make consecutive starts against the Phillies.)
At this point, the Mets are unsure when or whether Paul Blackburn will return this season. Expected to come off the injured list earlier this week, Blackburn has been derailed by lower back discomfort that has yet to improve. Megill delivered his best start of the season on Monday in Blackburn’s place.
The Mets plan to ride the streaking Manaea as much as possible down the stretch, essentially throwing him every five days. The lefty is slated to pitch Monday against the Nats, the following Saturday against the Phillies and then the finale in Atlanta.
Entering Manaea’s start Wednesday in Toronto, the Mets are 20-8 when he takes the hill. Even after Tuesday’s loss, they’re 14-4 when Peterson starts.
The Mets aligned their rotation similarly in 2022 when the penultimate series of the season was again an important one in Atlanta. That weekend, the trio of Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt combined to allow 11 runs (and six homers) in 14 1/3 innings. The Mets were swept to cost them the division title.
(Photo of Sean Manaea: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)
