NEW YORK -- Seeking answers on struggling right-hander Kodai Senga, the Mets finally found one -- just not one that gives them any sort of clarity for the months ahead.
Following his third consecutive poor start, Senga landed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to what the team called “lumbar spine inflammation.” According to manager Carlos Mendoza, Senga complained of the issue following his start on Sunday, in which he allowed three runs to the Rockies over 2 2/3 innings. Senga has a 17.28 ERA over his past three starts.
An MRI revealed inflammation between the L4 and L5 vertebrae in his lower back, which is also causing him right hip discomfort. Senga will not throw for seven to 10 days, after which the Mets will reassess his situation.
“We didn’t know what we were dealing with until we got the MRI,” Mendoza said.
Before Senga complained of his injury, Mets officials had planned to huddle to discuss the right-hander’s future. Nearly his entire career has been a series of fits and starts, including shoulder and calf injuries that limited him to a single outing in 2024, a hamstring injury last summer and various issues throughout his rehab processes. Despite it all, Senga reported to camp this spring looking like a new pitcher, and he opened the regular season with two solid performances.
Since that time, it has been a backward progression for Senga. In a postgame interview Sunday, Senga said through an interpreter that “I know that the performance out on the field isn’t something where I can be like, ‘Oh, I can be in the rotation.’ … I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Senga added that his issues were mechanical, not mental.
“I know what’s going on,” Senga said. “I know why I’m not able to perform. I just need to … get back to a high-performing pitcher.”
Over parts of four seasons since coming stateside on a five-year, $75 million contract with the Mets, Senga is 20-17 with a 3.39 ERA. Most of that production occurred during his All-Star 2023 season, in which he went 12-7 with a 2.98 mark. He has made just 28 starts in the three years since, and he still has one year and $15 million remaining on his contract after this season.
With Senga sidelined, the Mets recalled rookie right-hander Christian Scott, whom they had optioned to Triple-A Syracuse amid a roster crunch last week. (Senga’s assignment to the IL allowed them to recall Scott before the requisite 15 days passed.) Although Scott struggled on Thursday in his first outing back from September 2024 Tommy John surgery, walking five of the 10 batters he faced and hitting another, he still profiles as the team’s best option for a Friday evening start in Anaheim.
“We told him the other day, ‘You’re going to make a lot of starts for us. You’re an important part of this team moving forward,’” Mendoza said. “So he’s going to get opportunities here.”
The Mets’ rotation depth has shriveled with Sean Manaea and Tobias Myers in the bullpen, Senga on the IL and No. 2 prospect Jonah Tong sitting on a 5.68 ERA in six starts at Syracuse. Their current rotation consists of Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Scott.