Mets Thursday Therapy: Kodai Senga arm fatigue concerns won’t lead to a knee jerk reaction

It’s not the dry Northeastern weather causing your eczema to act up this week. New York Mets fans were treated to the news that Kodai Senga is suffering from arm fatigue and may undergo an MRI for a more definitive look into exactly what’s going on.

Naturally, any sort of health concern for the projected Opening Day starter is enough to have Mets fans seeking an ear to whine into. Dealt an IL stint for Jacob deGrom shortly before the opener in 2022 and again with Justin Verlander in 2023, it feels like history repeating itself a little earlier than usual this time around.

We’ll know more about Senga’s health this week. In the meantime, suggestions of the Mets reacting with a knee jerk roster move seems entirely out of place. Anything short of a season-ending injury, which this doesn’t appear to be as of now, will have them remaining cautious with him but not rushing to make any major moves.

Don't expect the Mets to sign Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery

Two of the better starting pitcher free agents available this offseason, the Mets stayed away from Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. Even to this day there will be a fan who puts up a poll questioning whether or not the team should sign one of them. This is a daily occurrence on social media even before the Senga news.

Uncertainty with Senga and a lifetime of bad news has more Mets fans wondering if they could potentially pivot at the last second. Until we hear Senga is out for the season, it’s an implausible thought to contemplate. The contract demands of both aren’t going to suddenly come down for the sake of a desperate Mets club. What’s more, the qualifying offer implications of signing Snell had the Mets steering clear of him from the start and going in a short-term direction.

Even if this injury were to lead to an IL stint to begin the year, the Mets would end up with a roster crunch the moment he returns. They aren't built to carry six starting pitchers on a regular basis. It's not something they have prepared for.

The Senga injury scare should, however, have Mets fans a little bit upset about something else. His opt out after the 2025 season only makes last year’s failures more infuriating. Add to it how the team didn’t put a full effort into making the team the best it could be this offseason and they are potentially throwing away another year of having Senga on the roster for what appears to be a bargain price.

Senga may be able to dodge any sort of lengthy absence with this injury and skate through the season healthy yet again like he did in 2023. Flip a coin long enough, you’re going to eventually land on the other side. Injury concerns were present for Senga before signing with the Mets. 

If you’re not feeling so good about this news, as inconsequential as we hope it ends up being, you’re far from alone. A lot has been made of the injury concerns the Mets added to the roster this offseason. This serves as a reminder of how fragile some of the players who were healthy last year could turn out to be in 2024.