Offseason add Griffin Canning chose the New York Mets over other suitors because of the pitching development group and the team's high-tech pitching lab. Canning's career hasn't gone the way he envisioned.

Canning appears likely to have a spot in the Opening Day rotation if Sean Manaea (oblique) begins the season on the injured list, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The Mets have signed Jose Urena to a non-roster invite amid spring training pitching injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas

Training is underway, and we’re already inundated with stories about pitchers who have come to camp with new pitches, which means it’s time to talk about pitch mixes again. This will be my fifth year of breaking down new pitches to analyze how they fit into a pitcher’s arsenal and see if it’s something we should be genuinely excited about for fantasy baseball.

Mets starter Paul Blackburn spoke after his first start coming back from a spinal injury he dealt with this offseason.

The Mets boast enough starting pitchers to absorb Montas’ injury, but several of them are question marks heading into the season.

Montas suffered a high grade right lat strain during his first bullpen session in spring training. The Mets said he’d be shut down for 6-8 weeks, though Montas told reporters Wednesday that it would be closer to 4-6 weeks.

The formulas, though, do reflect talent level, and the Phillies and Braves each have four starters who project better than the Mets’ best. True, the addition of Juan Soto to the Mets’ offense might give the pitching staff greater margin for error. But at some point, the team will need to lean on its rotation.

The New York Mets face the Houston Astros in an MLB spring training game on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025 (2/25/25) at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida.