New York Mets Make Change to Struggling Starting Rotation
The New York Mets have come to a decision on two of their struggling pitchers.
Manager Carlos Mendoza revealed on Friday afternoon that left-hander David Peterson is going back to the bullpen and will be available there as soon as Sunday. He made his last start on Tuesday, getting rocked by the Cincinnati Reds to the tune of 11 hits and six earned runs across 5.0 innings of work.
On the season, Peterson is 3-5 with a 5.57 ERA and 1.67 WHIP across 53.1 innings. But his stats as a starter stand in stark contrast with his stats as a reliever. In seven starts, Peterson has a bloated 7.56 ERA with a 1-5 record. In five appearances out of the bullpen, he holds a 2.25 ERA and a 2-0 record.
When Peterson first found success out of the bullpen in April, the hope was that he could carry this momentum back into a starting role, rejoining the rotation for a start at the end of the month on April 29th. He only managed 3.2 innings in this start, allowing seven earned runs before moving back to the bullpen for the next three times out.
With the sample size as large as it is (33.1 innings as a starter, 20.0 innings as a reliever), it's clear that he is better suited for a relief role. When talking about the move, Mendoza explained that the plan will be to use him "in a lot of different roles."
"Multi-inning guy, high leverage... bulk guy. Sunday will be the earliest after throwing that many pitches not too long ago, but that's going to be the plan."
Mendoza was then asked what this means for Sean Manaea, who has served as the Mets multi-inning bulk reliever so far this year, to which he indicated that the veteran left-hander will get "a chance" in the rotation, potentially behind an opener.
Carlos Mendoza says the Mets told David Peterson to be available out of the bullpen starting on Sunday.
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 29, 2026
Mendoza says that Sean Manaea will get a chance to be the bulk man, perhaps behind an opener pic.twitter.com/b6jc4DdeJa
Given Peterson's struggles, the move felt like a matter of time. But an obvious holdup has been the lack of a replacement for him in the starting rotation. With Kodai Senga still working through rehab starts and Jonah Tong already up with the big club as a bulk reliever, Manaea became the de facto candidate for a switch despite his continued struggles this year.
Manaea was unable to crack the starting rotation this year after a dip in velocity hurt his spring training campaign. In 12 appearances out of the pen this year, the 34-year-old has a 5.56 ERA and has allowed 40 hits to just 38 strikeouts.
The shake-up could be exactly what Peterson needs to regain the form that made him an All-Star just last year, but the question is whether Manaea will be effective in his stead. With limited options, the Mets will try their luck with a swap of the two veteran left-handers.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 2:01 PM.