Inside The Mets

Mets Eyeing Crucial Series With NL East Rival For Kodai Senga's Return

Find out when the Mets hope to have Kodai Senga return to action.

Pat Ragazzo

Feb 14, 2024; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) walks out to the practice fields during workouts at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2024; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) walks out to the practice fields during workouts at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
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The New York Mets are one of the few playoff contenders that aren't in need of starting pitching on the trade market.

And one of the main reasons for this is due to ace Kodai Senga's regular season debut finally being in sight.

On Friday at LoanDepot Park, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Senga will throw 80-85 pitches for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. If all goes well today, he will likely be activated from the IL for his next outing, which should come against the Atlanta Braves next weekend.

The Mets were contemplating the idea of bringing Senga back to the big-league rotation this weekend in Miami for their four-game series with the Marlins. However, they decided the better route was to give him a fourth rehab start.

New York's rotation has performed well without Senga, who has missed the entire season to this date after straining his shoulder and later injuring his triceps. The Mets' "default" stance will be to shift to a six-man rotation once Senga returns, as president of baseball operations David Stearns revealed earlier in the month.

With Senga expected to return in about a week or so, the Mets' starting pitching depth will get even stronger down the stretch of the season. The 31-year-old righty will join Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, David Peterson and rookie Christian Scott in an already impressive unit.

Getting Senga back is a major boost for the rotation, but the Mets still need bullpen arms. With the trade deadline approaching on July 30, Stearns will likely be active in this area after acquiring righty reliever Phil Maton from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 9.

The good news is that the Mets don't need to worry about adding starting pitching this year, unlike most playoff caliber teams.

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Pat Ragazzo

PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for the Mets and Yankees websites on Sports Illustrated. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He appears on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11, SNY and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 98.7 FM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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