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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 17: Kodai Senga #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The New York Mets, in the midst of a rough season, continue to endure losses and setbacks. This time, right-hander Christian Scott heads to the injured list with a right hip impingement. While the injury doesn’t seem serious, the rotation will still need help. Kodai Senga looks to take the spot upon his return from a spinal injury. In a subsequent move, the team activated Senga. Mike Puma from the New York Post delves deeper.

GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 17: Kodai Senga #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field on April 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

“Enter Senga, who was originally under consideration for another minor league rehab start following a solid outing Thursday for Double-A Binghamton. The right-hander has spent the past six weeks rehabbing lumbar spine inflammation. The Mets received promising results early this season from Senga, before a plunge that Mendoza has attributed to the right-hander’s back ailment. Overall, Senga owns a 9.00 ERA in five starts for the team this season.”

Kodai Senga finds his groove with @RumblePoniesBB.

The @Mets right-hander picks up 5 strikeouts while allowing just 1 hit over 6 innings in his 4th rehab start: pic.twitter.com/RUs4jJyAtI

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 12, 2026

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While Binghamton isn’t the MLB, any success there should help the Mets locate a starting pitcher. Senga’s performance hasn’t been the same since he broke out as a 30-year-old rookie in 2023. That season, the former All-Star recorded a 12-7 record with a 2.98 earned run average. Since that point, Senga started just 28 games over the next two-plus seasons.

Velocity Still Pops. What is the Problem?

According to Baseball Savant, Senga throws harder than he ever did. As a rookie, his fastball averaged 95.7 mph. Now, it has risen to 96.1 mph. While .4 miles per hour does not seem like much of a difference, it could be the deciding factor between contacting a swing and missing. Baseball remains a game of inches that values velocity.

GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 17: Kodai Senga #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

However, without pure velocity, the needed movement for a pitcher becomes of the utmost importance. For example, Senga’s curveball boasted a vertical drop of between 70.5 and 72.0 inches. This year, the right-hander’s curve drops 75.4 inches. So, movement and velocity usually mean that a pitcher is effective.

Manager Endorsement

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza exercises the loyalty and belief in a player that astounds the harshest critic. Senga is no exception.

“We have been saying we wanted to see results, which we had in his last outing,” Mendoza said.

“But with him, not only the result but how he feels after he pitches. Senga threw a bullpen session Sunday, according to Mendoza, and received the green light a day later. He’s ready to go,” Mendoza said. “He’s telling us that he feels 100 percent. He was on board with, ‘Hey, if you want me to go to the minor leagues and pitch again [on rehab], I will do it, but I am ready to compete on the big league level.’ For him to be very vocal about it is a real good thing.”

Carlos Mendoza says Kodai Senga will return to the Mets and start tomorrow’s game in Cincinnati

“He’s ready to go. He’s telling us he feels 100%. For him to be very vocal about it is a really good sign” pic.twitter.com/c80CwM9cjE

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 15, 2026

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Every player who wants to play will tell their manager that they are fully healthy, even when they are not. Senga, in all honesty, could be regarded as an injury-prone player. Injuries affected all three of his last three seasons. The Mets need a pitcher to log innings and spare the bullpen wear and tear. Senga may not be the savior the Mets need, but he is the effective hurler they want.