Mets' Kodai Senga eyes rehab start this weekend, return next week
Kodai Senga of the Mets looks on from the dugout during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on Monday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
If the next week-plus goes according to plan for Kodai Senga, he will make a rehabilitation start with Triple-A Syracuse over the weekend and return to the majors — perhaps in one of the biggest games of the year — in the final days of the regular season.
If the next month-plus goes according to plan for the Mets, Senga would continue to start every five or six days or so after that, rebuilding his pitch count and workload on the fly during a hypothetical, hoped-for deep postseason run.
That leaves a lot of uncertainty surrounding Senga. But he continues to feel optimistic in his bid to return from a left calf strain.
“I’ve been working my tail off and devoting all my time toward this,” Senga said through an interpreter Wednesday. “I know if this doesn’t go well, I’m just going to be in the dugout rooting for my teammates. So I need to make this work.
“With the team being in a really tight spot, a good position, I need to be at 100% to contribute. I don’t want to come back at anything less than 100% . . . Literally everything [in and on] my body, including the calf, including the shoulder and the elbow — everything needs to feel good.”
Senga has not faced batters yet. He plans to do that in the minors in the coming days. If he pitches, say, an inning or two with Syracuse, he could pitch two or three innings in a start during the Mets’ last road trip — maybe the series finale in Atlanta (Thursday), maybe while the team is in Milwaukee (Friday-Sunday).
Bringing him back so soon — after a maximum of one abbreviated minor-league outing — would be highly unusual, especially in the case of Senga, who is very particular about his rehab steps and is prone to setbacks.
But the Mets believe that would be their best option under the circumstances. Some Senga is better than no Senga.
“We’re doing great. The team is great. We’re a phenomenal team. The vibes in there are amazing,” Senga said. “I need to do whatever it takes to get back out there to 100%, because what I can’t do is go back out there at less than 100% and bring the team down.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza said: “The one thing I’ve learned is you never know with Senga. There’s days where he feels really good but then there’s also days where [he says] eh, maybe I need a day or two. We gotta wait and listen to the player.”
Senga repeatedly emphasized the need to personally feel 100% — not with his pitch count, which is impossible at this point, but physically. He wants to return only if he feels capable of contributing.
Even an inning in the minors would be “plenty,” he said, to determine whether he indeed is 100%.
“[The Mets have] been very honest and transparent with me throughout all of this and I’m very grateful how much they want me back,” Senga said. “In order to answer that, I need to keep working my tail off to get back at 100%.”
Mendoza said: “I don’t want to put pressure. We just need a healthy player. Whatever that is, I’ll be happy to put his name in the lineup.”
Baty back?
Brett Baty returned to Syracuse’s lineup as the designated hitter Wednesday, about four weeks after breaking his left index finger on a check swing.
Baty rejoining the Mets is “in play,” Mendoza said. The Triple-A season ends Sunday.
“I think there’s no limitations there,” Mendoza said. “He’s going to play and get at-bats and see where we’re at after the season is over for them.”
Lindor watch
Francisco Lindor (back soreness) lightly ran and played catch on the field. His return did not sound imminent. He was out of the lineup for a third game in a row.
“He’s doing a little bit better, but he’s still in the training room, getting work done,” Mendoza said. “There’s not much baseball activity going on. We might have to put him through a series of exercises before we make a decision when he’s ready to play.”
Extra bases
The Mets will keep the rotation in order for the first three Phillies games: Luis Severino on Thursday, David Peterson on Friday, Sean Manaea on Saturday. Mendoza said Sunday was TBD, “not necessarily” Tylor Megill . . . Mendoza on a strong start from Luisangel Acuna: “You put him in front of the bright lights. That’s one thing he keeps telling me: ‘Man, I see the ball so much better.’ Welcome to the big leagues” . . . The Mets announced the hiring of Samantha Engelhardt as chief operating officer, a major business-side role. She joins the team after nearly a decade with the NBA, where she most recently held a senior vice president role.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
