Senga takes step towards return to Mets, reaches 97 mph in rehab debut
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Kodai Senga threw 58 pitches over 3 1/3 innings and reached 97 mph on the radar gun for Single-A St. Lucie in his first rehab start Friday.
Senga, who has been on the injured list since April 28 with lumbar spine inflammation, allowed two runs on four hits and one walk and struck out two batters while facing Palm Beach, the Cardinals’ Single-A affiliate. It was his first game action since receiving an epidural in late April.
Senga put up two scoreless innings before running into a little bit of trouble with two outs in the third. He allowed back-to-back RBI singles to Yordalin Peña and Jonathan Mejía. That first run-scoring hit came on Senga’s fastest pitch of the night: a 97.7 mph four-seamer up in the zone. His night ended with a strikeout of Trevor Haskins on a 96.2 mph heater in the fourth.
Thirty-five of Senga’s 58 pitches went for strikes, and he showcased his wide arsenal, throwing his four-seamer, forkball, cutter and sweeper at least 10 times each.
Although the Mets don’t know how many rehab outings Senga will need, he can only remain on assignment through June 20. He may return before then, depending on how he fares.
Since throwing 166 1/3 innings during his stellar 2023 rookie season, Senga has been limited to a total of 138 2/3 innings due to injuries. He’s compiled a 9.00 ERA (20 earned runs in 20 innings) and a 1.95 WHIP across five starts for the Mets this season. Opposing hitters are batting .313 against him.
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After restarting a throwing program earlier this month, Senga noted that his velocity was where it needed to be, but his mechanics were not.
“There have been lingering things with my body that have affected the delivery and have caused me to not be able to perform at my best,” Senga recently said through an interpreter. “Without being at my best, it’s hard to get hitters out at this level. But I know that once I get back there, I know I’m capable of that. And I have no intention of coming back if I’m not 100 percent.”