Mets share worrisome Kodai Senga update

It sounds like advertised New York Mets ace Kodai Senga won't be returning to the rotation when he's eligible to be reinstated to the roster on May 27.

"He’s going to continue to work with his mechanics," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on Sunday about the club essentially pausing Senga's rehab progress, per Manny Gómez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and Dan Martin of the New York Post. "There will be days when he won’t throw and just do dry sessions, just to make sure he can repeat his delivery. This is a guy that knows himself better than anybody and is very meticulous about his delivery, mechanics. So yeah, there will be days where he’ll throw bullpens."

Senga hasn't yet made his season debut due to a moderate capsule strain in the back of his right shoulder that sparked serious concerns among some MLB insiders. He was set to be New York's No. 1 starter after the club traded Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer last summer and then failed to replace either with a big name during the offseason. 

"For the next week or so, I think we’re just going to keep it at that," Mendoza continued. "...Then there will be a day when he’s like, 'All right, I’m ready to go,' and then we’ll move forward with the next step."

It was unclear as of Monday morning when that next step will occur. 

A 2023 All-Star selection, Senga went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts over 29 starts and 166.1 innings of work last season. Without him, the 2024 Mets entered Monday at 19-20 and eight games back of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East standings.

It's thought the Mets could shop All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso before the trade deadline if they're viewed as more of a playoff pretender than a contender in the middle of July. Alonso is in the final year of his contract and reportedly isn't close to signing an extension with the club.

"When you’re dealing with your mechanics, whether your arm is not catching up, or you’re flying open, you’re putting individuals at risk of injury or reinjury," Mendoza added about Senga. "And that’s the case here."