New York Mets star pitcher Kodai Senga waited all spring and most of the summer to make his season debut on July 26 after recovering from a shoulder problem. He looked dominant that day, but had to leave the game with a high-grade left calf strain that has him on the shelf to this date. Talk about bad luck, huh?
Even in the absence of their best and most talented pitcher, the Mets are currently in contention for a spot in the postseason. They are just half a game behind the Atlanta Braves for the last Wild Card spot and have won seven games in a row.
That’s why getting him back would 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 hoping to make it back as a reliever, but a recent report has gotten everybody in the organization excited. Per SNY’s Andy Martino, there is a chance he returns as a starter, giving the Mets another top option to navigate those potentially huge last few games of the regular season:
“It is too early to say definitively if this will happen, and plans are far from set. But Senga impressed team brass with a strong 25-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday at Citi Field. He has made just one start this season, with a shoulder injury delaying his season and a July calf injury seeming to end it. The team would prefer Senga to start, even if just for abbreviated outings. Given his unique preparation routine, and Tylor Megill’s experience in the bullpen, the Mets view Megill as a more natural fit to get high-leverage relief outs in a pennant race and postseason,” Martino wrote.
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There might not be enough time to stretch out Senga to a full starter’s workload from this point until the 25th, but he could conceivably start some guys and pitch four or five innings until his arm allows him to push for more. It’s a delicate situation, and the Mets probably don’t want to rush anything given the shoulder injury he experienced for months.
Having him back in any role would be huge. He posted a 2.98 ERA as a rookie in 166.1 innings with 202 strikeouts: those numbers, even in three or four-inning spurts every five or six days, would be a fantastic addition to the staff.
