Mets’ Kodai Senga Nearing MLB Return, Expected to Make Another Triple-A Start
With the unofficial second half commencing Friday, the New York Mets’ starting rotation may soon receive a massive boost in the form of right-hander Kodai Senga.
The 31-year-old starter has made considerable progress in his recovery from a shoulder/triceps injury, and he could return to the majors as early as next week if all goes well with his upcoming triple-A rehab start, Newsday’s Tim Healey reports.
Senga, who hasn’t thrown a single pitch in the big leagues this season, will likely start for the Syracuse Mets either this weekend or early next week. If everything checks out, the organization could activate him from the 60-day IL when they host the Atlanta Braves, beginning on Thursday.
New York has already lined up its rotation coming out of the All-Star break, with Sean Manaea opening the club’s four-game series versus the Miami Marlins, followed by Jose Quintana, Luis Severino and Christian Scott.
That leaves David Peterson to open next week’s subway series against the Yankees on Tuesday, with Manaea on tap to finish off the two-game set. Thus, Senga could slot in as an option versus the Braves in the following series, joining Quintana, Severino and Scott.
The Japanese hurler opened the season on the IL and received a cortisone injection after experiencing tightness in his right triceps in late May. He resumed throwing in June and made three rehab starts earlier this month prior to the break, pitching to a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings.
Last Sunday, Senga tossed 4.2 innings of one-run ball against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders – the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate – allowing a pair of hits and walks while striking out three on 67 pitches. He induced 12 whiffs on 35 swings, three via his infamous forkball – also called a “Ghost Fork.”
One of Senga’s final tests will likely include stretching out to 75-80 pitches in what could be his final rehab outing before rejoining the big-league club.
After spending 11 seasons in Japan – all with the Softbank Hawks – Senga left for North America ahead of the 2023 campaign, inking a five-year deal worth $75 million with New York. And he was well worth the hype during his stellar rookie season in the Big Apple.
The 6-foot-1 righty made 29 starts, logging a 2.98 ERA and 3.63 FIP with 202 strikeouts across 166.1 innings – most among big-league rookies. He accounted for 3.4 fWAR, finishing as the runner-up in the NL Rookie of the Year race to Arizona’s Corbin Carroll.
Additionally, he appeared as a first-time All-Star at the Midsummer Classic in Seattle and finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting.
Senga came into this season as the Mets’ projected No. 1 starter, poised to lead a franchise aiming to return to the playoffs in 2024. Though he still has one final hurdle to clear, he’ll likely have a chance to deliver on that promise over these final two-plus months.
New York enters Friday’s slate three games above .500 with a 49-46 record, currently holding possession of the final NL wild-card seed in a jam-packed playoff race that’s far from over.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: D. Benjamin Miller. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.