Erstwhile ace Kodai Senga, struggling over recent weeks, has been sent to Triple-A Syracuse by the playoff-hopeful New York Mets. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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An ancient baseball adage says, “It’s not what you’ve done for me, it’s what you’ve done for me lately.”
With that saying in mind, the New York Mets have sent their erstwhile ace to the minor leagues.
Kodai Senga, starting pitcher for the team in the first game of the 2024 National League playoffs, was optioned to Syracuse to make roster room for rookie Brandon Sproat, who will make his big-league bow Sunday.
Senga will still receive full pay on the guaranteed five-year, $75 million contract he signed on Dec. 11, 2022 after spending 11 seasons in Japan’s major leagues.
That contract stipulated he could not be sent to the minors without his consent. The pitcher was included in multiple discussions about the possibility before the move was announced, according to Andy Martino of SNY, the team’s broadcast outlet. He said he felt “respected by the process” and did not lose face when the news was announced.
Two-Week Stint
Senga will now be required to spend at least 15 days at the Triple-A level while trying to recapture his former form.
He was an All-Star as a rookie in 2023, when he went 12-7 with a 2.98 earned run average while making 29 starts.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza escorts struggling Kodai Senga off the mound as a Japanese interpreter follows. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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The following season, however, he suffered a right shoulder capsule strain in spring training, triceps inflammation and nerve issues, and also a left calf strain — suffered in a game against the arch-rival Atlanta Braves in his only start of the season on July 26. Rusty after missing all but five innings of the regular season, Senga posted a 12.60 ERA over 5 1/3 innings in two playoff appearances.
He also battled injuries earlier this season, with the worst being a Grade 1 right hamstring strain in June that kept him sidelined for a month. The practitioner of a pitch nicknamed “the ghost fork” because it disappears as it crosses home plate, Senga had a best-in-baseball 1.47 ERA after 13 starts before his injury, suffered while trying to cover first base.
Control Issues
Since his return, the one-time control artist has had trouble throwing strikes. Inability to fix his command issues at the major-league level led to his minor-league exile.
Although players are usually ineligible for free agency until they have completed six seasons of service, Senga’s contract allows him to explore free agency after the 2027 season – five years after it was signed.
His demotion to the International League does not alter his service time.
Nolan McLean, the first of three rookie pitchers to arrive in Flushing, has made a great first impression. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
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Frustrated with mounting injuries to veteran starters Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Tylor Megill, and Griffin Canning, among others, the Mets have promoted three blue-chip prospects to fill rotation vacancies. Nolan McLean, the first to arrive, won his first four decisions while Jonah Tong took his first. Brandon Sproat will make his big-league debut in Cincinnati Sunday.
Upcoming Games
The Mets are battling the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League East title, which they last won in 2015. Entering the weekend, the Phils had a six-game lead.
New York could also reach the playoffs, as it did last year, as a wild-card team. But it trails both the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres in bidding for a wild-card berth while facing challenges from the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds.