Mets’ Manager Breaks Silence on Ace’s Rocky Rehab Start

Carlos Mendoza spoke out about Mets ace Kodai Senga's sub-par rehab outing over the weekend.

Jul 10, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) prior to the game against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets’ ace Kodai Senga did not get the results he sought during Saturday's rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse. 

The 31-year-old conceded five runs on eight hits over three-plus innings, adding only one strikeout;
he noted that his mediocre performance was due to the inability to throw his best strikeout pitch (the forkball, or "Ghost Fork") with any consistency.

But while Mets fans would have preferred to see a better stat line, the most important takeaway is that Senga said his "body feels good" after the game and is still on track to return to the Mets’ starting rotation later this week.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza echoed this sentiment when speaking with media before New York's 4-2 defeat to the Miami Marlins on Sunday. 

“Everything is good [with Senga] so far,” Mendoza said, per SNY. “Everything is positive. You know, obviously he had to grind. He had to work, they made him work. But at the end of the day, it’s [about] how he’s feeling. 

“We’ve gotta wait and see how today goes, and tomorrow. And then hopefully he’s with us next time out. But everything is trending in the right direction.” 

Carlos Mendoza says "everything is positive" following Kodai Senga's rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse yesterday

"Hopefully he's with us next time out... If he's good, there's a good chance he'll pitch Friday." pic.twitter.com/IHRBjQAs0Q

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 21, 2024

Senga solidified himself as the Mets’ ace after a dominant 2023 MLB season, when he went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 166.1 innings pitched. This performance made Senga the runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Unfortunately, Senga has been on the Mets’ 60-day injured list since late February after suffering a shoulder strain early on in Spring Training. He then suffered a setback in May due to triceps soreness, which made it so he couldn’t begin throwing with intensity until June.

Nonetheless, the fact that Senga only conceded just two earned runs in 10 innings pitched across his three rehab starts before Saturday proves that he's still elite.

The plan remains for Senga to make his season debut against the Atlanta Braves on Friday, and for the Mets to use a six-man starting rotation for the foreseeable future.