The New York Mets are holding an inside lane on the final National League Wild Card spot as they head into a pivotal final push in a divisional series with the Atlanta Braves.
Their success this season can be largely attributed to a surprisingly effective starting rotation. The team ranks second among all teams in opposing batting average and among the top-10 in total wins and strikeouts.
That rotational effectiveness is even more impressive considering that the Mets have gotten only one start from Kodai Senga, who signed a five-year, $75 million contract last year to be the team’s ace. And it seems the team will have to finish their race to the postseason without Senga, as he suffered a setback in his latest rehab start.
“Pitcher Kodai Senga experienced a bout of right triceps tightness during his Minor League rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse,” Anthony DiComo reported for MLB.com. “Although Senga doesn’t consider the issue serious, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said it will end his regular season. Senga could still contribute if the Mets reach the postseason, but that will depend upon his recovery.”
After pitching for a 2.98 ERA, an All-Star nod and Cy Young Award votes across 29 starts in his rookie season for the Mets last year, Senga was set to lead the team again in 2024. But a shoulder injury kept him out for the first half of the season and then a strained calf sent him back to the injured list after his sole start in July.
With Senga ruled out for the rest of the regular season, the Mets will march on with their rotation of Sean Maea, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, David Peterson and Tylor Megill, hoping to hold off a Braves team that sits just two games behind them in the playoff hunt.
However, it’s still possible that Senga will return to help the Mets in a deep postseason run. First and foremost, though, the team has to make it that far.
“He’s going to continue to try everything that he can in his power to be available for us (in October),” Mendoza told DiComo. “If that doesn’t happen, then we’ll do what we’ve got to do. But we’re going to listen to him. And as of right now, he wants to continue to do it.”
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