Kodai Senga, the New York Mets’ standout pitcher, waited all spring and much of summer to make his season debut on July 26 after recovering from a shoulder injury. He seemed dominant that day, but he had to leave the game due to a severe left calf strain, which has kept him out of action to this day. Talk about rotten luck, eh?
Even without their best and most talented pitcher, the Mets are still in the playoff race. They are only half a game behind the Atlanta Braves for the last Wild Card slot and have won seven in a row.
That’s why getting him backwould be a boon to the Mets’ chances, even if his potential return date is more late September (he is eligible for the 25th) than the middle of the month.
Can Senga make it back as a starter for the Mets?
He was hoped to return as a reliever, but a recent report has everyone in the club excited. According to SNY’s Andy Martino, he might return as a starter, providing the Mets with another quality option to navigate the potentially crucial final few games of the regular season.
“It is too early to determine absolutely whether this will happen, and plans are far from finalized. However, Senga wowed team officials with a good 25-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday at Citi Field. He has only made one start this season, with a shoulder ailment postponing his season and a July calf injury appearing to terminate it. The team would prefer Senga to start, even if just for brief appearances. Given his unique preparation routine and Tylor Megill’s bullpen history, the Mets believe Megill is a better candidate to provide high-leverage relief outs in a pennant battle and postseason,” Martino wrote.
Senga may not be able to stretch out to a full starter’s workload from now until the 25th, but he could start some guys and pitch four or five innings until his arm enables him to go longer. It’s a tricky issue, and the Mets are unlikely to push anything given his shoulder problem, which has lasted months.
Having him back in any capacity would be enormous. As a rookie, he had a 2.98 ERA in 166.1 innings with 202 strikeouts; those figures, even in three or four-inning bursts every five or six days, would be an excellent addition to the staff.
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