Kodai Senga Return Delayed, Mets Face Ace Setback Amidst Gradual Recovery Progress

The tale of two New York teams has been quite fascinating. Both of them started their season with their ace on the injured list. However, while the New York Yankees have gone on to have one of their best starts, the New York Mets have collapsed at the starting line. With a mere 4-7 record, the Kings of the Queens are currently 4th in NL East. While that’s a big enough heartbreak for the fans, the recent reports on Kodai Senga might just be what breaks the camel’s back.

Senga’s recovery has remained a giant mystery. When he first got injured it was expected that the ace would be back by the end of March. Later that estimate shifted to April and then finally to May. During this time there has been some positive progress in Senga’s recovery but then it seems it hasn’t been as fast as the Mets initially expected. 

The New York Post reports that the Mets have placed Senga on a 60-day injured list. That effectively shuts Senga for the entirety of April and May! While it’s something that the Mets might have discovered earlier, Wednesday saw them put a stamp on all speculations. The struggling franchise will use Senga’s roster spot for right-handed reliever Tyler Jay from Triple-A Syracuse. However, the manager Carlos Mendoza has denied calling this a setback.

“It’s not a setback, nothing is wrong with him. It’s just we knew it was going to take some time,” Mendoza said. “With him throwing flat ground and some things, he hasn’t gotten on the mound, so it’s going to be a few weeks before we see him” 

For the Metsies this is another setback. With the team currently struggling for good results, the absence of their ace has just magnified the team’s roster issues. However, this delay seems to be an intentional play by the Mets.

Is Kodai Senga’s slow recovery a precautionary act by the New York Mets?

Senga, who has been recovering from a shoulder strain has been paying catch on flat ground. However, he has a long way to go before he can be ready to return to the major leagues. The process involves him progressing to the mound, then throwing live batting practice and finally pitching in minor league games. 

“We have been slow playing it from the beginning,” Mendoza said. “We took those extra two weeks before he started playing catch in spring training and there’s nothing new to it. It’s just more like where we are at and where he is at.” The skipper’s words confirm the speculations that the Mets have been playing it safe with Senga. The team wouldn’t want to aggravate the issues of their ace at a time when they need him the most.

However, now that it’s confirmed that Senga won’t be ready till June, the journey has become even tougher for the Metsies. Can they hold on or are they looking at consecutive postseason absences?

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