New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga remains intent on pitching again before the regular season concludes on Sept. 29. Senga told reporters on Wednesday (including FOX's Deesha Thosar) that he won't return until he feels 100% given how important each game is to the Mets' playoff chances.
Senga estimated that he's currently somewhere between 70 and 80%.
Senga, 31, has been limited by injuries to just one big-league appearance this season. A shoulder capsule strain sidelined him until July 26. He then suffered a high-grade calf strain during his first start that threatened to knock him out for the rest of the season.
Last week, Mets executive David Stearns expressed optimism about Senga's chances. "If all continues to progress as it is right now, we should see him," he said at the time.
Senga made the All-Star Game last season, in what doubled as his first year stateside. In 29 starts, he compiled a 2.98 ERA (140 ERA+) and a 2.62 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Baseball Reference's calculations had his contributions worth an estimated 4.5 Wins Above Replacement. Senga finished second in Rookie of the Year Award voting, as well as seventh in Cy Young Award voting.
In addition to Senga, the Mets are currently without fellow starters Paul Blackburn and Christian Scott, who was announced on Wednesday as requiring season-ending elbow surgery.
New York enters Wednesday tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second wild-card spot. The Mets hold a two-game lead over the Atlanta Braves, with whom they're scheduled to meet next week in a three-game set that will determine the season series/tiebreaker. That series could well dictate which team advances to the postseason, too, depending on how the next week plays out.
