The Mets returned home to New York after a dismal eight-game road trip only to receive bad news about right-hander Kodai Senga. The triceps soreness he experienced earlier in the week lingered and he underwent imaging that showed inflammation. Senga received a cortisone shot Friday and will be shut down from throwing for the next 3-5 days.
The team’s ace was set to throw a bullpen this week but was unable to do so. After he’s cleared to throw again, he’ll have to progress to throwing bullpens again by playing catch and widening the distance gradually.
Senga is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list Monday and the Mets had hoped to activate him in early June, but with all of the setbacks he has faced, his 2024 debut may not come until the second half of the season.
Manager Carlos Mendoza stopped short of saying he was frustrated or concerned.
“The good news is that it’s just inflammation, like we said,” the manager said Friday at Citi Field before the Mets hosted the San Francisco Giants. “He’s getting this shot and hopefully he can get going from there. So yeah, it’s one of those [things] where we knew from the beginning it was going to take time and here we are dealing with it.”
The initial timeline for Senga was 6-8 weeks, so while the Mets knew it would take time for him to recover from a spring training injury and build himself up to his regular-season form, they didn’t know it was going to take this much time.
The club has supported his decisions during his rehab from a mild capsular strain in his right shoulder and work on his mechanics. They feel they’re dealing with a unique athlete dedicated to his craft and diligent in his work. Senga has cited a risk of re-injury in throwing with bad mechanics.
His right shoulder is healthy again, which gives the Mets optimism.
“The good thing is we were able to take a look, not only the shoulder today, but the elbow [too],” Mendoza said. “The whole thing just to make sure we’re not missing anything.”
While Senga’s status remains in limbo, catcher Francisco Alvarez is progressing in rehab from UCL thumb surgery. He’ll take a big step Saturday when he takes batting practice for the first time since the late April injury.
“When everything feels 100 percent I’ll come back,” Alvarez said. “I’m hitting, I’ll take BP tomorrow, maybe the [pitching] machine a couple days after.”
In other injury news, left-hander David Peterson (offseason hip labrum surgery) is making a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday, throwing 90 pitches. The Mets have not ruled out the possibility of him taking Adrian Houser’s spot in the rotation and moving the struggling right-hander to the bullpen once again.
Right-handed reliever Drew Smith (right shoulder soreness) will throw one inning in a rehab game with High-A Brooklyn on Sunday.
TRANSACTIONS
Infielder Joey Wendle signed a big-league contract with the Atlanta Braves on Friday. The Mets released Wendle earlier this week after designating him for assignment to get Mark Vientos on the roster. This move reunites him with Zack Short, another utility infielder the Mets used this season. The two grew close throughout their time together in spring training and over the first month of the season.