Latest Kodai Senga injury update feels like the last straw for the NY Mets

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me as many times as Kodai Senga has tricked the New York Mets, shame on all of us. The latest injury update on Senga has him scratched from a Double-A rehab assignment. This time it’s ulnar nerve irritation setting him back from returning to the Mets roster.

Predictable as it may be, this feels like the final straw. After a 7th place finish in the Cy Young as a rookie in 2023, Senga made one start in all of 2024 and left early due to an injury. He pitched well at the start of 2025 only to get hurt on the infamous Pete Alonso throw to first base. Upon his return, he was terrible and eventually agreed to get sent to the minors.

This year started promising then he hit a wall. Injured after only 5 starts, we’re at the point where we, and the Mets, should never expect to see him ever again.

There’s no reason to believe Kodai Senga ever pitches for the Mets again

You can’t fairly look at his season-by-season numbers and know the story of Senga. A 3.39 ERA in 57 starts spanning parts of 4 seasons is good, but we know the reality. Catering to the idea that he requires an additional day of rest from a traditional MLB starter who gets 4 days of rest, the Mets routinely bent over backwards to make sure he was in the best position to succeed. This meant calling up other starting pitchers and in some cases, rostering inferior players just to give him an advantage.

Senga never demanded or requested the Mets be so kind, but in a small sample of five games, he was not his best. A 4.63 ERA in 5 starts with only 4 days of rest and a .290 batting average against, the Mets were making an assumption that was probably correct.

There has never been any easy kind of solution with Senga. If he’s not a starting pitcher, he doesn’t appear to be someone capable of transitioning into a bullpen role. The way in which he approaches the game, almost in the way a perfectionist might, leaves little room for error.

Legitimately hurt, no one should be upset about Senga remaining sidelined because he isn’t well. Fragile as he may be, it’s not personal. Senga was signed by the Mets with legitimate injury concerns. His contract even includes a team option in 2028 based on IL stints. It’s specific to a right elbow injury. Senga has crossed off several ailments already during his time in New York.

Some pitchers can be allowed to ride it out on the IL for a prolonged period of time. The Mets failed to trade Senga in the offseason, likely due to a lack of faith from other ball clubs but also some believe the Mets could get something out of him if all he could do was still healthy. He couldn’t do either. A 9.00 ERA on the year and now more time injured than not, neither need has worked.

Paying him to go away isn’t necessary if he’s going to waste away on the 60-day IL for the remainder of this year and possibly for a part of the 2027 campaign. But there’s also a rationale for why bother wasting anyone’s time. Owed the remainder of this year’s $15 million salary and the same next season too, it’s chump change to Steve Cohen.

Money isn’t the issue here. It’s the overwhelming frustration and the lack of belief that a once promising ace-type pitcher can’t stay on the field. And even if he does, how much else needs to be adjusted around him to make it work?

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