PHILADELPHIA — The cavalry is coming . . . eventually.
Sean Manaea (oblique) might need only one more rehab start before making his season debut, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday — meaning that this battered pitching staff finally might get some relief, though not for another week and a half or so.
Frankie Montas, meanwhile, threw a bullpen session at Citizens Bank Park and will make his debut Tuesday against Atlanta after missing the entire season to this point with a lat injury.
Manaea pitched well in a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday, allowing one run and two hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 5 1⁄3 innings. He threw 62 pitches.
“The feedback was good, on the] breaking ball especially,” Mendoza said. “He threw a lot of strikes, got swing and miss, was pitch-efficient . . .
“We know he was kind of the ace of our pitching staff last year, we signed him [in the offseason] and unfortunately, he went down early in spring training. But especially where we are as a team, and we’re missing some guys, to be able to get him back is going to be huge for our team.”
The Mets shipped Kodai Senga to the 15-day injured list last week, Tylor Megill went down with an elbow sprain Tuesday and reliever Max Kranick suffered a right flexor strain that landed him on the IL on Thursday, retroactive to June 16. Mendoza said Saturday that Kranick, who got an MRI in New York on Thursday, will be shut down for three to four weeks.
“Especially for a guy that’s already had one Tommy John, the fact that the elbow is fine . . . that’s relatively good news,” Mendoza said.
The Mets also hope that Montas’ rehab isn’t indicative of what he’ll do when he’s activated. He pitched to a 12.05 ERA in six minor-league starts and was working with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner to adjust his mechanics.
The Mets need all the help they can get.
Going into Saturday, they’d been outscored 51-16 during their seven-game losing streak. Despite carrying an MLB-best 3.15 ERA, they had an MLB-worst 7.12 ERA over the last seven days.
“He threw a good bullpen today, felt good,” Mendoza said of Montas.
They spoke “briefly before he went out there. He says he feels physically fine, strong and ready to go. He’s excited to be back here and he can’t wait to help us win baseball games.”
Mets sign Reyes
The Mets signed infielder Pablo Reyes to a minor-league contract Saturday and he’ll report to Triple-A Syracuse. Reyes made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster this year and had a .194/.242/.226 slash line, two RBIs and a stolen base in 24 games before being designated for assignment and selecting free agency. Reyes, a middle infielder, has played every position except centerfield and catcher at the major-league level. In 257 career games over parts of seven seasons, he’s hit .245/.305/.342 . . . The Mets called up righthanded relievers Chris Devenski and Tyler Zuber from Triple-A Syracuse. They optioned pitchers Blade Tidwell and Justin Garza in corresponding moves.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.