Mets' Kodai Senga shares worrying update after rough rehab outing

Mets' Kodai Senga shares worrying update after rough rehab outing originally appeared on The Sporting News

The New York Mets have dealt with some major starting rotation questions this season. Between injuries, uncertain play, regression, and rookie performances, the rotation in New York is rife with storylines.

But none have been more worrying than the issues surrounding Kodai Senga. The $75 million Mets starter was elite to begin the season, but after suffering a hamstring injury, he hasn't been the same since. He's been in the minor leagues trying to rediscover his mechanics and control, but it hasn't gone well.

According to a recent report from Jorge Castillo of ESPN, Senga shared an even more worrisome update on his status. Senga, after a rough outing in Triple-A, expressed he wasn't ready to return to MLB just yet.

Kodai Senga isn't ready to return to the Mets yet

After being optioned to Triple-A, Senga has worked on his mechanics with the hope of feeling confident to return to the Major League rotation and help the Mets close out the 2025 season. But, as Castillo reports, it's not going well.

"Senga told club officials on a call Friday that, despite being healthy, he is not ready to pitch at the major league level after surrendering four runs over 3.2 innings for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday." Castillo writes.

There isn't much baseball season left, so while Senga isn't ready to come back to the Majors, he's running out of time to make an impact for the Mets. He could still return for the postseason, but as of now, such a return isn't likely based on this report.

Since Senga isn't ready to return to Major League action, and there are only eight games left in the season, along with the Mets planning to get Senga another outing in the minors, the chances of him returning to the Majors in 2025 are slim.

A postseason appearance is possible, but with how uncertain he is, it's not worth it to force Senga into the rotation or bullpen this October.

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What makes this report more worrisome than normal is that he actually began his minor league stint off strong, with a six-inning outing where he allowed one run on three hits and no walks with eight strikeouts.

But now, this outing, combined with his comments to Mets officials that he isn't ready to return to the Majors, paints a picture that the Mets will be without Senga the rest of the season.

No final decision has been made, and the Mets don't need to rush to make such a decision. But the trends are pointing towards the veteran starter missing the rest of the 2025 season.

While losing Senga is a tough blow, fortunately, the Mets' trio of rookie pitchers: Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong, have all been great.

New York is poised to hold the third wild card spot and will face, most likely, the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round. It won't be easy, and a pitcher like Senga certainly would be a huge help if he were pitching at full potential.

But his struggles and uncertainty make the Mets' decision a lot easier, as sending a shaky Senga out in the postseason would do Senga and the Mets no good. Instead, the righty will look to figure things out with one more simulated outing before any final decisions are made.

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