It has been a really good time to be a Mets fan, until Friday’s recent injury incident to ace Kodai Senga.
The New York Mets have been playing their best baseball since the end of June. Nothing has gotten in their way until this recent injury incident. Friday night, the return of SP Kodai Senga was cut short. He was having a decent season debut until the end of the fifth inning. During the final out of the inning, the right-hander fell to the ground on 3B Austin Riley’s pop-up but was able to walk off under his own power. Senga ended up pitching five-and-one-third innings while giving up two earned runs and striking out nine batters.
The team determine that his injury was a left calf strain. Tests revealed that the high-grade calf strain likely ends Senga’s season. It’s not a good look for the team that’s been dealing with injuries for a while now. The timeline proximity for Senga to recover stands around eight to ten weeks. If that all goes all planned, a playoff return should not be out of question. It is certainly possible Senga pitches again this year, but the most likely scenario is that Senga’s first start of the season was also his last.
What is Next for the Mets
Now, this latest injury does place a lot of pressure on Mets general manager David Stearns. The team aims to drastically improve their bullpen. But upgrading the starting rotation should not be out of question, especially since New York lost their ace. With Senga being the latest pitcher to go down hurt, look for the team to find a trade partner to help the rotation. The Mets have made it clear that they plan to go all in for this year’s trade deadline. With the deadline a couple of days away, there is no time to waste.
Right now, there aren’t many options for the team in the rotation. For now, Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza will have to rely on RHP Jose Quintana, LHP Sean Manaea, RHP Luis Severino and LHP David Peterson to get the job done. The concerns with these pitchers moving forward are that they haven’t been giving the team much needed length or innings. That has been the concern all year long with this current rotation. But it is worth noting they just called up RHP Tylor Megill from Triple-A to presumably take Senga’s spot in the rotation.
Analyzing Potential Replacements
With the season hanging in the balance after losing a key starting pitcher to an injury, the Mets must look to the trade market to find a viable replacement. If there’s one rental starter they should pursue if they decide to look into the trade market, it is RHP Jack Flaherty. The Detroit Tigers righty is having his best season since his 2019 breakout, and he is the best rental starter available. Flaherty has a 2.95 ERA across 18 starts with a 32% strikeout rate.
Now to be clear, getting a player like Flaherty won’t be easy for the Mets. There are going to potentially be multiple teams on him, such as Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, and possibly the New York Yankees. If the Mets don’t land Flaherty, there are other alternative options. SP Yusei Kikuchi is also an appealing rental option.
Another name that comes to mind is RHP Jameson Taillon. While it is unclear if the Chicago Cubs are willing to part ways to Taillon for this upcoming deadline, they are receiving interest from other teams. Taillon is having himself a great season with a 2.96 ERA and has already proven that he can handle a big market like New York. The question is though, are the Mets willing to pay him $18 million per year that he is owed through 2026? The Mets are already over the highest tier of the competitive balance tax, so every dollar spent on payroll is taxed at a rate of 110%.
Future Implications
The latest injury to Senga may have cost him his chance of opting out of his five-year, $75 million deal the following season. He was required to pitch at least 400 total innings from 2023-2025 in order for the opt-out to kick in. By the way it’s looking, Senga may remain a Met until 2027 at the very latest. He only threw 171 2/3 innings since the beginning of last year. That means he would have to throw almost 230 innings next season, a figure that no one reaches anymore, let alone a pitcher returning from injury.
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