June 12, the day New York Mets star pitcher Kodai Senga attempted to cover first base in the sixth inning, extending to field a throw from Pete Alonso. The throw went a bit high and the Mets star leaped in the air. Unfortunately, he landed in an awkward position on the ground, writhing in severe pain. After being placed a 15-day injured list, he underwent an MRI on Friday and was diagnosed with a grade 1 hamstring strain, the least severe type. Thankfully, it was not as severe as it looked earlier and he might return sooner than expected.
“We feel like it’s relatively good news here,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after a 7-5 loss to the Rays in the series opener at Citi Field on Friday. “It’s a low grade. Hopefully, he’s symptom-free, and we’ll get him back up again,” Mendoza added further. Mets, who currently stand atop the NL East with a 45-27 record, were swept by the Rays over the weekend. Sunday’s game was a brutal 9-0. However, the team’s struggles are expected to come to an end soon.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported Sunday, as quoted by Underdog MLB, “Kodai Senga (hamstring) expected to miss at least 5 weeks.” This means Kodai Senga, currently the National League’s ERA leader, would be unavailable until approximately mid-July, just before MLB’s All-Star break.
Heyman: Kodai Senga (hamstring) expected to miss at least 5 weeks.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) June 16, 2025
Just so his return is swift, Mendoza is monitoring Senga’s progress closely. “Now that we’ve gone through it with the athlete, with Senga, I’m pretty confident [in] the communication, the feedback from him,” Mendoza said.
“We’ll continue to listen to him. He’s very meticulous about what he does, whether it’s rehab, his mechanics, the throwing program. So I feel like we’re in a good place, and I’m not anticipating any issues here.”
If one looks back, Kodai Senga’s 2024 season was riddled with injuries. He didn’t make his debut until July 26, after a difficult recovery from issues including a strained right posterior shoulder capsule, triceps discomfort, and nerve inflammation. Unfortunately, his return was short-lived; he then strained his left calf while fielding his position. This was a high-grade strain, sidelining him until the postseason.
Thankfully, it was a “low-grade” injury this time around. In this season, Senga went 7-3 with a 1.47 ERA, accumulating 70 strikeouts at a 1.11 WHIP, making him one of the best pitchers in their lineup. And while Senga is resting, how are the Mets coping up his absence?
What lies ahead for the New York Mets?
On the rehab side of things, the Mets’ right-handers, Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, are currently recovering. And if everything goes right, they are expected to participate in the minor-league rehab assignment that’s going to start the next week.
Manager Carlos Mendoza announced on Wednesday that Montas is scheduled for his fifth rehab start on Friday. While Manaea is slated to make his third rehab start two days later. Moreover, Mendoza stated he’s not concerned about managing seven pitchers for five rotation spots once both Montas and Manaea return.
“Usually it plays itself out,” Mendoza said. “We still are at least two weeks away from making those decisions and I’m hoping that by the time we get there it is going to be a difficult decision. That means everyone’s healthy. That means everybody continues to throw the ball well and we have some good problems.”
All eyes will be on the upcoming games and how Senga fares while rehabbing. Do you feel that Senga can return within the specified timeline?
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