Struggling Senga is sent down to the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate to seek a reset in form

At his best, Kodai Senga was an All-Star starter capable of wielding one of the most destructive pitches in baseball currently—his “ghost forkball.” Yet lately, Senga has been among the easiest pitchers to hit in the majors.

Given these circumstances, the Mets took a bold step today by sending Senga down to Triple-A. Senga was effectively the team’s ace entering spring training and will remain there at least until September 20, when he becomes eligible to return. At that point, team officials believe they will be better positioned to evaluate whether Senga can contribute in October.

“I think he wants to do what’s right for the team, and he believes he can be part of this postseason journey,” said David Stearns, President of Baseball Operations. “He’s very eager to be involved in the playoffs. I think we all agreed that his best chance to achieve that is by stepping back, working through his issues in a more controlled setting, and then moving forward.”

To option Senga, the Mets needed the right-hander’s consent— a clause included in the five-year, $75 million contract he signed upon arriving from Japan in December 2022. According to Stearns and manager Carlos Mendoza, Senga was willing from the outset.

“When we discussed this with Senga,” Stearns added, “I think from both sides, it was clearly the right decision for the team and the player.”

The 2023 rookie All-Star missed nearly the entire last season due to injury. The 32-year-old returned to the rotation in April and performed well in the first half, posting a 7-3 record with a 1.47 ERA over 13 starts. However, he strained his right hamstring in his last outing, sidelining him for a month, and since then, he has not been the same pitcher. In his last eight starts, Senga has gone winless with a 6.56 ERA.

The Mets’ staff believe that Senga’s leg injury may have caused him to overcompensate in other parts of his pitching mechanics. Senga is meticulous about his delivery, often acknowledging discomfort when any part of his kinetic chain is off. Last summer, he frequently cited his pitching mechanics as a reason for his slow recovery from a left calf injury.

This time, the Mets do not want Senga to try to fix things amid the division race but rather in a lower-risk Triple-A environment. The plan is for Senga to throw several bullpen sessions next week, followed by two starts. If all goes well, he could return in time to make one or two starts late in the season.

By then, the Mets hope to have enough information to determine if Senga can be a viable starter for their October run.

“We’ll be monitoring him closely,” Mendoza said. “We have to get him back to normal because he’s important to the team.”

Meanwhile, the Mets will use a six-man rotation at least through next week, with three rookies filling spots. Jonah Tong will make his second career start tomorrow in Cincinnati, followed by the team’s No. 5 prospect Brandon Sproat making his major league debut the day after. Nolan McLean will make his fifth start sometime next week in Philadelphia.

Veterans Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson will also remain in the rotation.

“We are asking a lot from some young players and some who haven’t started much in the majors yet, but they are very talented, and we believe they’re ready for this challenge,” Stearns said. “We’re excited about them. I think we’ve already seen Nolan and Jonah rise to the occasion, and we’re looking forward to Brandon doing the same.”