Mets Schedule Kodai Senga's Next Major Rehab Steps

New York Mets ace Kodai Senga will face live hitters on Sunday.

Feb 19, 2024; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) warms-up during workouts at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets have scheduled ace Kodai Senga to face live hitters on Sunday, per Newsday reporter Tim Healey.

Senga threw a bullpen on Wednesday, and he responded well enough to progress to facing live hitters. If everything goes well on Sunday, it's possible the right-hander could begin a rehab assignment with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets shortly.

Senga has a deep pitching arsenal that keeps hitters off balance; he boasts a four-seam fastball that averages 96 MPH, and his signature pitch, the "Ghost forkball", averages 83 MPH with extremely sharp break. He also features a cutter, sweeper, slider, and curveball.

The Mets' starting rotation has struggled without Senga, ranking 21st in team ERA (4.43), 19th in innings pitched (394), and 27th in strikeouts per nine innings (7.52). These are all areas where Senga could help; he averaged 5.7 innings per start, 10.93 strikeouts per nine innings, and had a 2.98 ERA in 166.1 innings last season.

Senga's potential return to the Mets will signify a huge change in the Mets rotation, and it could make it easier for them to trade some of their current starters such as Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, and Luis Severino. New York Post reporter Mike Puma also suggested that the Mets could also look within and recall right-handed pitchers Christian Scott and Jose Butto.

Scott is 25 years old and is the Mets' third-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline (55th in the top 100). In five starts at the major league level, he's pitched 27 innings with 25 strikeouts and a 3.90 ERA. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Butto has started seven games for the Mets this season, pitched 38 innings, struck out 38 batters, and has an ERA of 3.08.

The Mets are currently 36-38 and one game behind the St.Louis Cardinals for the third National League Wild Card spot. It's possible that they can buy and sell at the trade deadline, but no matter what they decide, the return of Senga will help immensely.