NY Mets might as well throw in the towel with Kodai Senga as rehab struggles continue

For a brief moment, it looked like the Kodai Senga of yesteryear was back. He allowed just two earned runs in each of his first two starts of the 2026 campaign, striking out 16 batters over 11.2 innings. His FIP of 1.65 was reminiscent of the incredible rookie season he experienced in 2023.

Ever since then, though, Senga has looked lost on the mound. He was a disaster his next two times out, causing New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza to publicly question his spot in the rotation. He'd appear just once more before landing on the injured list with lumbar spine inflammation, which knocked him out of action for a month.

At the end of May, he finally began his rehab assignment, though it's clear something is very wrong. His 5.25 ERA isn't completely disastrous, but he's walked five batters, hit three others, and issued four wild pitches across his three starts in the minors. His latest outing -- a 91-pitch slog that lasted five innings -- hardly quieted any doubts.

So, the question must be asked: What is there left to do with Senga?

Kodai Senga's only remaining value to Mets is if they need to tank

Because the Mets have underperformed so greatly this year -- not to mention the long-term absences of Clay Holmes and Tylor Megill -- completely giving up on Senga isn't in anyone's best interest. He's still got one year of team control left in 2027 (plus a 2028 club option), and the Mets will have to pay him his $14 million annual salary unless they can find a taker in a trade.

If this does wind up being a lost season, it'd behoove the team to give Senga another chance in the majors. In a best-case scenario, he'll refind his footing and build up his trade value for the offseason. At worst, he'll pilot a tanking team to a bunch of losses and better draft lottery odds.

However, if the Mets do keep improving in June and re-enter the playoff picture, it may be time to throw in the towel. Prior to his injury, Senga was walking too many batters and allowing far too much hard contact; in Syracuse, the exact same thing has been true. Triple-A hitters have a .396 expected slugging percentage against his four-seamer, and they're just teeing off on his cutter to the tune of a .380 expected batting average.

Considering that his replacement, Christian Scott, has been a revelation in the rotation, it's unclear how Senga fits into the Mets' plans in either the present or future. Unless the team opens some spots on the roster by selling at the trade deadline, we may have already seen his final pitch in Queens.

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