Kodai Senga returns '100% ready' for Mets, but Christian Scott heads to 15-day IL
Mets pitchers Kodai Senga, left, and Christian Scott. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The pitching arm giveth. The pitching arm taketh away.
On the same day that Kodai Senga said he was “100% ready” for his planned return to the rotation Friday, the Mets announced the rookie Christian Scott was headed to the 15-day injured list with a UCL sprain. Scott, who experienced discomfort after his start in Miami Sunday, underwent an MRI Tuesday in New York that uncovered the injury.
The Mets are seeking multiple opinions to determine if there’s a tear, Carlos Mendoza said. The manager did not rule out the possibility of surgery, but added “hopefully we get some good news.
“We have to wait and see.”
Scott, a converted reliever, had never thrown more than 87 ⅔ innings in a professional season before this year, and was up to 89 ⅔ innings in 2024 before going down with an injury. He was 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA, but showed significant promise, particularly in the minors. Lefty reliever Alex Young was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move.
“It’s always frustrating,” Mendoza said. “It’s something he dealt with last year and that’s why we were trying to protect him as much as possible, but it happened again, I don’t want to speculate here.”
Meanwhile, Senga, fresh off throwing a bullpen in his return from the shoulder injury he sustained in spring training, said he should be fully built up for his season debut. Mendoza, though, said that they’ll let the game dictate his actual pitch count.
“I’ve been working toward this for the last few months,” Senga said through an interpreter. “I feel 100% ready and I’m excited to get back out there . . . [The injury was] very, very difficult mentally and physically, but now that I’m ready to go, I want to put all that frustration toward the second half and perform.”
The layoff, which included a number of setbacks, took its toll, Senga said. But after providing ace-caliber pitching for a struggling team last year, he was excited to be part of a playoff hunt.
“The team is doing so well and the vibes are so high [and] I’m there in the locker room with them, but I’m not really in the circle with them,” he said. “I was just really itching to be back out there and perform.”
Regardless of what happens with Scott’s elbow, the Mets intend to continue with a six-man rotation. It's something that benefited Senga last season and potentially could protect him from further injury. Mendoza said they’ve yet to determine who that sixth man will actually be, though Jose Butto and Tylor Megill have been discussed. It’s also possible that president of baseball operation David Stearns acquired someone ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.
Though Butto and his 2.59 ERA is the strongest option on the roster, he’s been a valuable asset in a Mets bullpen that came into the day with the 19th-worst ERA in baseball at 4.14. He also hasn’t started since May 14, and his longest relief outing since lasted 41 pitches.
“It’s all part of it, but at the same time understanding the health of the players,” Mendoza said. “In Butto’s case, how hard can we push him? It’s been almost a month since he threw 100 pitches and then there’s been outings of one inning, two innings of no more than 40 pitches.”
Notes & quotes: Starling Marte (knee) ran for the first time since his injury and posted an update on Instagram that said “Almost” in Spanish. Mendoza wouldn’t categorize Marte’s return as imminent, but said he’d be ramping up baseball activities. “The fact that he’s telling us and everyone that he’s getting close, that’s a good thing,” Mendoza said . . . The Mets purchased the contract of former Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. from the Long Island Ducks. He was assigned to Triple-A Syracuse and provides the Mets with a depth option. Bradley, who last played major-league baseball in 2023, was hitting .400 in 165 at bats with the Ducks, with 12 homers and 35 RBIs . . . Reed Garrett (elbow) threw from 100 feet Monday and will pitch off the mound this weekend . . . Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Brooklyn Thursday.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
