Surging New York Mets Lose Kodai Senga For The Year

Don't look now, but the New York Mets are hot. 

The Mets have been the best team in the National League since July 1, going 14-7 to surge to the top of the NL Wild Card table. Beyond the record, there were reasons to expect the Mets to improve even further, thanks to the return of starting pitcher Kodai Senga. 

Senga was one of the few bright spots in the Mets' dismal 2023 season, putting up a 2.98 ERA with nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.4 WAR, per Fangraphs. But Senga started 2024 on the injured list thanks to a posterior capsule strain. 

Finally though, after a four-month-long absence, Senga made his return to the Mets rotation on Friday night. And immediately got hurt again. 

With the Mets up 8-2 on the Atlanta Braves in the top of the sixth inning, Austin Riley popped a ball up on the infield, and when trying to get off the mound and make a play, Senga appeared to injure his calf.

On Saturday, the Mets got the worst possible news; the calf injury is expected to keep Senga out for the rest of the season. Manager Carlos Mendoza told the media that "it's fair to say" Senga is done for the entirety of the "regular season."

Kodai Senga Injury A Major Setback For Mets' Playoff Hopes

There's no two ways about it. The Senga injury will be tough for the Mets to overcome. New York is unlikely to make a major splash in the trade deadline market, and there are few impact starters available regardless.

Yes, the Mets have surged to the top of the NL Wild Card standings, but they're just one game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are currently out of the playoff spots. Senga almost assuredly is worth at least one win more than the Mets next best alternative. 

Much of their July surge has revolved around offensive improvements, but in close, hotly contested September games, Senga will undoubtedly be missed. 

Mendoza didn't say whether Senga could return for a playoff start, saying there was no clear timeline.

"It’s hard to put a timetable on it, but I think it’s pretty fair to say he’s pretty much done for the regular season,’’ Mendoza said. "It’s a huge blow, but we got to this point without him. It sucks for him, for all of us. The way I see it, we’ve been through a lot and we got to this point. If we get to see him pitch again this year, it means we’re in a good spot. Hopefully, that’s the case." 

"Especially with the calf, it’s tricky,’’ Mendoza said. "We’re looking at eight to 10 weeks before he’s a big-league pitcher, [able to throw] 85 pitches. It’s hard to predict when you’re dealing with this." 

Getting to October baseball will be hard enough without Senga. Staying there may be impossible.