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Mets’ Sean Manaea Resumes Throwing After Oblique Injury Clears

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PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets have gotten some good news with at least one member of their rotation, as Sean Manaea resumed a throwing program after an MRI exam showed his oblique injury had cleared up.

Carlos Mendoza said Thursday that Manaea began playing catch Tuesday and is symptom-free.

But there isn’t a timetable for the left-hander’s return to the rotation in the regular season, since he’ll likely need to go through a full spring training — or more — before he’s set to come back.

“We’ll see,” Mendoza said of when they can expect Manaea to make his season debut. “Everyone’s different. It’s too early to tell.”

Sean Manaea, pictured earlier in spring training, resumed his throwing program Thursday for the Mets. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post

Without Manaea and Frankie Montas — out with a high-grade lat strain — available to start the season, the Mets have plenty of uncertainty in their rotation.

Kodai Senga is coming off a season in which he made just one regular-season start, and Tylor Megill (78 innings) and Paul Blackburn (75 innings) didn’t pitch much in the majors last year.

David Peterson, who started against the Red Sox on Thursday at Clover Park, pitched well last season after returning from hip surgery.

He allowed a leadoff homer to David Hamilton and threw 69 pitches in 3 ²/₃ innings.

Two other intriguing candidates for the rotation are Griffin Canning, who has impressed during camp after spending his career with the Angels, and converted reliever Clay Holmes, whose transition to starting is off to a promising start.

Brandon Nimmo, who had played just one spring training game due to right knee soreness, returned to the lineup as a DH on Thursday and went 1-for-3.

“He’s feeling better,” Mendoza said before the game. “That’s the reason why he’s in the lineup. We want to keep it that way.”

Brandon Nimmo reacts after hitting a single during the Mets’ spring training game March 13. Getty Images

The Mets still plan to take things slow with Nimmo after the outfielder also dealt with plantar fasciitis.

“We’ll start to ramp him up,” Mendoza said. “Hope to get him on the field [on defense] soon.”

Edwin Díaz’s fastball velocity was down slightly in his inning of work, sitting at 95 and topping out at 96.

“It’ll come up,” Mendoza said. “I’m not worried about that.”

Edwin Diaz throws a pitch for the Mets during their spring training workout Feb. 19. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The closer still looked good after struggling with his command a bit in his first two spring outings.

Mendoza said Díaz looked “better, as far as from the first pitch, there was conviction. It’s spring training, so the first couple of outings it felt like [after] guys got on, that’s when we saw him letting the ball go. Today, we saw it from the first pitch.”

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Dedniel Núñez’s two innings of live BP went well Thursday as the Mets bring him along slowly following last year’s forearm injury.

The right-hander could make his Grapefruit League debut Monday.

Right-hander Huascar Brazobán struck out four and walked two in 1 ²/₃ innings and impressed Mendoza.

“His stuff is real,” the manager said.

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