Mets ace Kodai Senga placed on IL with hamstring strain
New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga left Thursday's start against the Washington Nationals with an apparent right leg injury, and was placed on the 15-day Injured List immediately after the game. Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza announced the move to reporters post-game.
Senga allowed just two baserunners in the first 5.1 innings before racing to cover first on CJ Abrams' grounder to Pete Alonso. Senga made a leaping grab of Alonso's high throw and touched the bag with his right foot on his way down.
But the 32-year-old stumbled upon landing and reached for the back of his right leg before hopping and eventually tumbling to the ground.
Senga was visited by Mendoza, a trainer and his interpreter before being surrounded by teammates. He got up and walked off the field on his own, albeit with a slight limp.
No information about the severity of the injury is available at this time, but the Mets will have Senga undergo an MRI on Friday.
The 5.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball lowered Senga's ERA to 1.47. Left-hander Jose Castillo entered with the Mets leading 4-0.
Senga suffered a left calf injury in his only regular-season start last July 26. After missing the first 102 games because of a right shoulder strain, Senga gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Atlanta Braves before he was injured sprinting off the mound to clear room for Alonso to catch a pop-up by Austin Riley. Senga returned to make three appearances, including two brief starts, in the playoffs.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball New York Mets Washington Nationals
recommended
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
34 minutes ago
- New York Post
The Mets MVP who's making magic happen from the dugout — even if he says there's no ‘pixie dust'
Access the Mets beat like never before Don't miss Mike Puma's text messages from Queens and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now The MVP of the first-place Mets, and maybe the National League, too, is Pete Alonso. The Mets' second MVP might be the fellow who brought back Alonso, owner Steve Cohen, who's paying Alonso $30 million (never mind the $33M in luxury tax). But the third MVP just might be a more anonymous fellow, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who's the leader of baseball's best and most surprising pitching staff. The Mets' starting rotation was supposed to be the question mark of an otherwise strong team, especially after their two highest-paid starters — Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas — went out with injuries in spring. Just to be clear: That's only my MVP thought. It's definitely not from Hefner, who emphatically batted back the idea of him as team MVP candidate.
New York Post
44 minutes ago
- New York Post
David Stearns, Mets still trying to solve third base ‘carousel and puzzle'
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free When it comes to third base for the Mets, there are many pieces to the 'puzzle.' Gone are the days when David Wright manned the hot corner night in and night out. As team president of baseball operations, David Stearns, put it, it's a 'carousel' in 2025. 'It's a constant discussion — the playing time carousel and puzzle is one that you're always talking about,' Stearns said before Friday's series opener against the Rays at Citi Field. 'We've got a bunch of good players on the infield, a bunch of good, young players on the infield.' 3 New York Mets shortstop Ronny Mauricio (10) makes a throw during the fourth inning on June 11. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Twenty-five-year-old Mark Vientos appeared to be the man for the job last season, primarily playing at third as he appeared in 111 games and posted a 3.1 WAR, which ranked second on the team. But with a hamstring injury sidelining him, it's been the Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio show for the most part. Luisangel Acuña often has been the odd man out. Manager Carlos Mendoza thinks there's more to his decisions than just a direct player-to-player debate. Delivering insights on all things Amazin's Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters 'With the 13 position players that I got, it's not so much of the Mauricio-Baty conversation. I think it's just more looking at what's coming up next,' Mendoza said Friday. 'It's not so much the Mauricio-Baty; with the way our roster is constructed right now, there's so much versatility and there's a lot of different ways I can go.' Mendoza added that it doesn't simply come down to opposing pitchers and matchups when choosing his infielders. With the sheer number of options available, it can be a challenge to get all of their young pieces experience, which Stearns addressed. 'I'm actually pretty pleased with how they've all gotten a fairly substantial amount of playing time over these first couple of months in the season,' he said. 3 Brett Baty reacts after he strikes out looking in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies on June 1, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Allocation of playing time will soon become even more difficult when Vientos makes his return. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS Vientos, who took swings during batting practice Friday, said his hamstring is 'feeling a lot better.' 'I'm pushing for the next couple weeks, I'm thinking,' Vientos said. 'We're heading in the right direction, for sure.' 3 Mark Vientos reacts after he hits a double during the fourth inning when the New York Mets played against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for NY Post With his return drawing nearer, a tough conversation arises — one that likely puts somebody back in Triple-A. 'When Mark comes back, we're gonna have to make another decision about how to allocate that playing time,' Stearns said. 'But we'll make that decision when we need to.'
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Paul Blackburn set for return to ‘comfort zone' as Kodai Senga officially hits injured list
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free The severity of Kodai Senga's right hamstring injury was still unclear to Mets officials late Friday afternoon, but the team had already moved ahead in filling his rotation spot. Paul Blackburn, the team's de facto sixth starter, will shift from the bullpen to start Wednesday in Atlanta, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Senga's absence will mark the first missed start by one of the five starters who began the season in the Mets' rotation. Senga strained his right hamstring Thursday covering first base and a day later was placed on the injured list, with reliever Max Kranick recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. 4 Kodai Senga injured his hamstring during the Mets' game against the Nationals on June 12. Jason Szenes for the NY Post Senga was set for a late afternoon MRI exam before the Mets' series opener against the Rays at Citi Field. Blackburn, who had last pitched Sunday in Colorado — where he recorded a four-inning save — was available from the bullpen for the series opener. Mendoza said Blackburn, if he wasn't used Friday, could potentially be available in relief Saturday, but not beyond that as he rests for his scheduled start. 4 Kodai Senga reacts after injuring his hamstring during the Mets' win June 12. Jason Szenes for the NY Post 4 Paul Blackburn reacts during his start against the Dodgers on June 2. Getty Images Blackburn said it 'sucks' to have lost Senga, given the manner in which the right-hander was pitching — he leads MLB with a 1.47 ERA in 13 starts — but Blackburn appreciates the opportunity to rejoin the rotation. 'That is kind of where my comfort zone lies,' Blackburn told The Post. 'It is what I have done my whole career. I have my whole routine set for that.' Blackburn returned from the injured list to start against the Dodgers on June 2, when he pitched five scoreless innings as part of a six-man rotation. Blackburn was placed in the bullpen after that outing. 'Every team will go through [injuries], but I feel we are equipped to handle it,' manager Carlos Mendoza said. 'We have already got a guy like [Blackburn] on the active roster and we have got more guys that are close to joining the team.' On the forefront is Frankie Montas, who allowed eight earned runs over 1 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday in a minor league rehab start. Montas, according to president of baseball operations David Stearns, will need an additional appearance in the minors before a decision is reached on activating him. 4 Paul Blackburn throws a pitch during his start against the Dodgers on June 2. Imagn Images Montas, who is rehabbing a high-grade lat strain, has pitched poorly in all three of his starts for Syracuse. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS 'I think he is still feeling his way back,' Stearns said. 'This was a pretty significant lat injury. He did a good job working through his progression and I think he is still searching a little bit. Physically, we are trending in the right direction and now it's just getting him back into the rhythm. This is very similar to a spring training ramp up where you try not to focus on results too much early and then as you get a little bit later in the ramp up you want to start seeing outs. That is where Frankie is right now.' Sean Manaea is further behind. The left-hander's initial rehab appearance from an oblique strain was earlier in the week for Single-A Brooklyn. Stearns downplayed the idea the Mets may soon have too many rotation options. Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Griffin Canning have all excelled and Tylor Megill has pitched well enough to remain in the rotation. 'It's very rare where you actually get to the point where you have too many starting pitchers that you can roster,' Stearns said. 'If somehow, at some point, we get to that this season I will have to make some decisions and I imagine those would be difficult decisions, but for now I am very happy with how this group that we've had to this point has pitched. I am excited we continue to get healthier and get guys like Frankie and then ultimately Sean back in the rotation. I think that will make us stronger. Certainly deeper.'
