After latest rehab benchmark, Senga says he feels ‘good’
Aday after taking another step in his shoulder rehab, Mets ace Kodai Senga downplayed the significance of his increased throwing schedule but acknowledged that he feels good. Monday marked the first time Senga, 31, had played catch on backto-back days since suffering a right shoulder strain in late February.
Senga was in good spirits Tuesday as he told reporters through interpreter Hiro Fujiwara that he didn’t have an update, suggesting he would have more to share once he’s able to throw from a mound.
The Mets have not released a timeline for when that could happen, while Senga said a return to the mound is more about making progress than hitting specific benchmarks.
“He came out good,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Senga’s back-to-back throwing days. “He’s just playing catch, 90 feet, flat ground. It’s more like the trainers, some of the metrics, some of the testing that he’s got to go through, strength-wise, before we progress to the next stage, which is 120 [feet], more intensity.”
Senga, who was diagnosed in spring training with a moderate strain of the posterior capsule, began playing catch last week, initially on an every-other-day schedule. Mendoza on Monday described the recent ramp up as “a big deal.”
“This is something that’s still fluid,” Mendoza said Tuesday. “We will continue to reassess every time he throws. He’s off today. He’s in the trainer’s [room] getting treatment and getting checked out. Slowly, but he’s moving in the right direction.”
The Japanese-born Senga pitched to a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts over 166.1 innings last year, his first in the U.S., and emerged as the Mets’ No. 1 starter following the midseason trades that sent Justin Verlander to Houston and Max Scherzer to Texas.
Tylor Megill, who won the rotation spot vacated in Senga’s absence, suffered a shoulder strain of his own Sunday and went on the 15-day injured list.
That leaves veterans Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Adrian Houser as the only healthy arms in the Mets rotation.
“This is nothing new for them,” Mendoza said. “They’ve been through it before where one of their teammates goes down and they’ve got to step up. They know that. … They know what’s ahead of them and they’ll be ready for it.”
Quintana allowed two runs in 4.2 innings on Opening Day against the Brewers, while Severino surrendered six runs and 12 hits in five innings against Milwaukee on Saturday. Manaea struck out eight over six scoreless innings Monday against Detroit, retiring the first 12 batters and holding the Tigers hitless through 5.2 frames.
The Mets have not said who will replace Megill in the rotation.
DIAZ DIALED IN
Edwin Diaz continues to be a bright spot in the Mets’ otherwise slow start.
The superstar closer, who missed all of 2023 with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, delivered another electric outing in the Mets’ series-opening loss to Detroit on Monday, striking out two batters in a 1-2-3 inning while throwing nine of his 15 pitches for strikes.
“My confidence, every time, is high,” Diaz said. “If I feel good warming up and come into the game, I know I will have a good outing, and that’s how I felt my last two outings. … I feel 100% ready to go.”
Monday’s dominance followed Diaz’s momentous return Saturday, when he struck out one and allowed a hit during a scoreless inning against the Brewers.
LINDOR LOOKING FOR RESULTS
Despite a .063 batting average through four games, Francisco Lindor felt he was putting together quality at-bats.
“I just haven’t had the at-bats that get me on base,” Lindor said after going 0-for-4 in Monday’s loss. “I feel like I’ve had good swings, I just haven’t really put the ball in play as consistently as I want to.”
Lindor – who last year became the fourth Met with at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season – entered Tuesday with one hit in 16 atbats this year, and none in his last nine.
“[Lindor is] chasing a little bit, front shoulder not staying closed the way he’s capable of,” Mendoza said Monday night. “Trying to do too much as opposed to just sticking to his game.”