The New York Mets have played five games in four days, and all of them have been filled with pressure, drama, and urgency. They have come out on top and showed enormous character and heart, and, the most important thing is that they are alive. The rest, they can manage.
The recent workload, however, has taken a toll on the pitching staff. The Mets’ pitchers for the upcoming Division Series against the Phillies will depend on how everyone rebounds after the stressful games against the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, but they can sure use another hand. There is a chance they get some quality help, though.
Mets could get Kodai Senga back for the NLDS
According to SNY, star right-hander Kodai Senga could potentially become available in the NLDS against the Phils:
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was asked about Senga potentially being included on the roster for the next series, to which he replied a mysterious “We’ll see.”
Senga threw 25 pitches in a live session on Monday. He is trying to shake off a bout of triceps tightness he felt during a rehab start on September 21, and the session went very well with encouraging reports about his velocity.
Senga was only able to pitch in one game this season, after battling shoulder woes in the first few months of the 2024 campaign. The Mets got him back for one start, but that’s when he suffered a calf strain.
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A difficult year for the Mets’ star pitcher
While rehabbing from the calf injury, he felt tightness in his triceps. It hasn’t been an easy year for Senga, but he refuses to give up — he wants to help the Mets, and the team needs him more than ever.
Senga probably won’t be stretched out long enough to be a starter, but if he returns, there is no reason he can’t be an impact multi-inning reliever.
After the Mets used David Peterson to close out the Brewers on Thursday, the rotation for the NLDS will be led by Tylor Megill. Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, and Jose Quintana are likely to follow. If one of those starters needs a ‘piggyback’ partner or if the Mets are willing to go with an opener, Senga could fill both roles. If not, he could be an alternative for the battered bullpen.
