Senga might take ‘an extra week’ to throw

PORT ST. LUCIE — Kodai Senga might require more time than expected before he starts throwing again.

This Friday, Senga will be three weeks out since receiving a PRP injection to address his right shoulder strain. But while that date had initially been targeted as the righty’s potential return to throwing, manager Carlos Mendoza said that Senga might now take “an extra week or so.”

“Not a setback, none of that,” Mendoza insisted before the Mets’ 6-5 win against the Astros on Wednesday, “but we want to make sure that before he picks up a baseball, he’s strong and that we’re comfortable.”

This likely means Senga’s rehab timetable is being pushed back as well. The expectation for Senga’s return to throwing had always included missing Opening Day. But president of baseball operations David Stearns had declined to specify a timetable when he addressed the injury earlier this spring, though he insisted that he still expected Senga to pitch frequently this season.

“It’s hard to tell, because you never know,” Mendoza said Wednesday when asked about the rest of Senga’s timetable getting pushed back. “Once he starts playing catch, it’s all about bouncing back and things like that. So it’s hard to predict right now.”

In his first MLB season, Senga started 29 games, compiled a 2.98 ERA and made the National League’s All-Star team — adjusting to his first MLB season seamlessly after a tenure in Nippon Professional Baseball and becoming one of the Mets’ most consistent starters. The Mets were cautious with monitoring the days between Senga’s starts and building him up to a regular-rest timeline, too.

➤ Brett Baty was a precautionary scratch from the Mets’ lineup due to minor back tightness and is day-to-day. He reported the tightness after Tuesday’s game, but Mendoza expected Baty to be back in the lineup Thursday. Mark Vientos, who went 1-for-3 with a homer, shifted to third base, while Choi played first.

➤ Edwin Díaz, who made his spring debut Monday with a scoreless inning, will throw live batting practice Thursday morning but then fly back to New York City to join his wife after the birth of their child.

➤ Luis Severino surrendered his first run of the spring on a second-inning homer, but other than that, he continued a promising buildup to the regular season with four innings Wednesday. He struck out three Astros and didn’t issue any walks. His spring ERA sits at 1.00.