Inside The Mets

Mets using interesting strategy in Kodai Senga's first spring start

The New York Mets have made an intriguing decision regarding Kodai Senga's first Grapefruit League start on Monday.

Pat Ragazzo

Feb 15, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches during a spring training workout at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Feb 15, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches during a spring training workout at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Kodai Senga and the New York Mets need to play it cautious this year after the Japanese ace missed all but 5.1 innings in the regular season in 2024 due to shoulder, triceps and calf injuries. Fast forward to present day and it appears the two sides have found common ground regarding Senga's progression in spring training.

According to Mark Sanchez the New York Post, Senga will pitch one inning in a Grapefruit League start on Monday and then throw the remainder of his pitch count on the backfields across two live innings. Up until this point, the Mets had been limiting Senga to bullpen sessions and live BPs. The 32-year-old threw three live innings on Wednesday.

Senga is seemingly itching to get into live game action given he was mostly deprived of this privilege a season ago because of a barrage of ailments. That said, both parties need to take things slowly due to the fact that Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat strain) are out indefinitely.

The Mets have depth in their starting rotation but they already lost two of their top four projected hurlers within this unit. That's why they will likely be utilizing a five-man rotation to begin the year as Manaea and Montas are on the mend.

Read More: Mets manager Carlos Mendoza makes assertion about Tylor Megill

The Mets must keep Senga healthy with Manaea and Montas sidelined. The current rotation behind Senga features: David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning and Paul Blackburn. They also signed Jose Ureña to a minor league deal earlier in the week.

Veteran left-hander Jose Quintana is still available via free agency and would love to reunite with the Mets. However, the team recently pivoted in a different direction by bringing in Ureña after both Manaea and Montas went down.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the main publisher and reporter for the Mets On SI site. He has been covering the Mets since 2018. 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 has appeared on several major TV Networks including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is a recurring guest on ESPN New York 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM. Pat is also the Mets insider for Barstool Sports personality Frank "The Tank" Fleming’s podcast. You can follow him on Twitter/X and Instagram: @ragazzoreport.

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