Mets noncommital on Kodai Senga making next scheduled start

(© Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images)

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Mets noncommital on Kodai Senga making next scheduled start

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Mets noncommital on Kodai Senga making next scheduled start

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Mets noncommital on Kodai Senga making next scheduled start

(© Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images)

After another bad outing by Kodai Senga on Friday, manager Carlos Mendoza was hesitant to commit that the right-hander would make his next start for the Mets.

Senga went just 3.1 innings against the Chicago Cubs, allowing six earned runs on six hits, including two home runs, and three walks in an eventual 12-4 loss. In his last start against the Athletics at Citi Field, Senga lasted 2.1 innings, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits and two home runs in a game New York lost 11-6.

Prior to his struggles which come on the heels of a rough end to his 2025 season, Senga got off to a good start, allowing four earned runs and striking out 16 over 11.2 innings in his first two outings. He also had an impressive spring training and looked like he was back to being the ace-caliber pitcher he was for the Mets in 2023 and the first half of 2025.

"Started off pretty good the first couple of outings," Mendoza said. "Coming out of spring training we saw a different guy, but then the last two I think the intent hasn’t been there. We saw the velo at the beginning and now it’s more like feeling for the strike zone, more like pitchability -- trying to mix cutters, sweepers as opposed to going right after people which is what we saw in spring training and the first two outings."

Now New York will need to make a decision on Senga whose next turn in the rotation would likely be April 23 against the Minnesota Twins. However, the Mets have an off day before then that they can use to their benefit.