What happened: The New York Mets have removed left-hander Sean Manaea from their starting rotation and assigned him to the bullpen to open the season. The decision follows a dip in Manaea's spring training velocity but is described as strategic rather than performance-based. New York will proceed with a five-man rotation.

Why it matters: Manaea's shift to relief leverages his strengths in shorter outings, potentially fortifying a Mets bullpen that needs late-game reliability. As a competitive NL East team, pitching flexibility aids playoff positioning.

What to watch: Watch for Manaea's first relief appearance and Mets rotation performance in Opening Day lineup.