rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
MIAMI — Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns backed his manager as the team was stumbling through the conclusion of the regular season, but will that support continue?
Carlos Mendoza certainly understands why his job status might be in question, after the Mets lost 4-0 to the Marlins on Sunday to miss the postseason by one game.
“Since Day 1 when you take this job, you are on the hotseat,” Mendoza said. “When you are managing a team that has a lot of expectations and you go home, questions like this are going to come up and that’s part of it. I’m responsible and I have to be better.”
Stearns did not speak to reporters following the loss.
He is scheduled to hold a season-ending media session on Monday at Citi Field.
Mendoza, who has one year remaining on his contract, said it’s too early to assess what needs to change for next season.
Mendoza last season led the Mets to Game 6 of the NLCS and expectations remained high for the team following Juan Soto’s arrival on a record contract and the return of Pete Alonso to the lineup.
There will be questions too about the status of pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes after both units performed inconsistently this season.
The pitching was the biggest cause for alarm – with struggles by Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Sean Manaea front and center.
Senga rejoined the team on Sunday, but wasn’t activated.
Mendoza said Senga would have traveled with the team to Los Angeles if the Mets advanced to the wild-card round.
The right-hander spent the final month in the minors after a rough stretch that followed his return from a hamstring injury.
“It comes down to my body,” Senga said through his interpreter. “I wasn’t able to control my body the way I wanted to after the injury and it showed up in the results and it was very disappointing I wasn’t able to contribute in the last month.”
The Mets finished the season 0-70 in games they trailed after eight innings.
