Benge on roster? Senga in rotation? And more key questions for Mets

This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo's Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- In less than two weeks, Freddy Peralta will toe the Citi Field rubber on Opening Day. It’s coming fast, and yet for the Mets, there’s still a long list of things to do.

Just before the start of Spring Training, we used this newsletter space to ask the most pertinent questions facing the team. Now nearly five weeks into camp, some of those have been answered. Some have not. It’s time to revisit all of them to see where things stand.

• Here's a fresh look at Mets' potential Opening Day roster

Question: Will Carson Benge make the club?
Answer: Still unclear

While Benge hasn’t done anything to lose the most intriguing battle in Mets camp, he hasn’t established himself as the clear winner, either. The No. 2 prospect’s biggest problem is Mike Tauchman, who homered in his first spring at-bat and reached base 13 times in his first 26 plate appearances. In addition to providing a professional at-bat, Tauchman offers the Mets insurance in the event that Benge isn’t quite ready -- something that would be understandable for a 23-year-old who’s played just 24 games at Triple-A. If the Mets don’t put Tauchman on the roster, he could opt out of his contract and leave them thin on experienced outfielders. But there’s little reason for the Mets to carry Tauchman if they’re also carrying Benge, who would play every day in the Majors.

All that being said, Benge is the clear long-term answer in right field, and it’s not like he’s struggling; the rookie leads the Mets in hits this spring, batting .367 with a triple and 5 RBIs. This one figures to come down to the final days of camp.

“Hopefully that’s the case that we get to those last few days and we’re going to have to make some tough decisions,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s because we’ve got a lot of guys playing well and they’re healthy. That’s the case with Carson. He continues to go out there, continues to give good at-bats. He’s playing good defense, running the bases, left-on-left. So he’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing from his end.”

Question: Who rounds out the bullpen?
Answer: It’s as murky as ever

The Mets have five bullpen locks in Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Luis García and Tobias Myers. That leaves two spots for a host of contenders including Craig Kimbrel, Huascar Brazobán, Bryan Hudson, Adbert Alzolay and Joey Gerber, among others. Brazobán probably deserves a spot on merit, but he’s one of the few on that list with accessible Minor League options, which works against him. Kimbrel is the most intriguing name here, but he’s looked shaky and will be due $2.5 million if he makes the team. Mets officials won’t make most of these calls until just before Opening Day.

Question: Will Kodai Senga force his way back into the rotation?
Answer: Absolutely

If any uncertainty lingered regarding Senga, he squashed it with three dominant innings in his most recent Grapefruit League outing. Mendoza, who has expressed frustration with Senga in the past, has positively crowed about him all spring. And why not? Senga is throwing 99 mph again, looking every bit like the frontline starter he was back in 2023. The Mets are likely going to proceed with a six-man rotation on Opening Day, giving Senga a chance to continue his success into the regular season.

“Last year, he was pretty good, but we didn’t see this type of version here where there’s velo, there’s attack, there’s movement,” Mendoza said. “There’s a lot of positives going on there.”

Bonus question: Will Francisco Lindor be ready for Opening Day?
Answer: It’s all but certain

While this wasn’t on anyone’s radar entering camp, it became an issue when Lindor underwent Feb. 11 surgery to repair a stress reaction in his left hamate bone. Since that time, Lindor has checked every box required of him, most recently making his Grapefruit League debut with four innings Sunday against the Blue Jays. At this point, Lindor shouldn’t have any problems making it to the March 26 opener. The only unanswered question here is if he’ll be the same player once he returns, given the toll that hamate injuries can take on wrist strength and power.