New York Mets make a decision on Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea

Senga, 32, has been out since June 12, when he suffered a Grade 1 right hamstring strain while covering first base. The 2023 All-Star threw just 68 pitches in his lone rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out four over 3.2 innings.

Through his first 13 starts this season, Senga was 7-3 with a major league-best 1.47 ERA, 70 strikeouts, and a 1.11 WHIP in 73.2 innings. The right-hander has been limited to just one regular-season start in 2024 due to shoulder, calf, and triceps issues.

In addition to Senga, Mendoza said left-hander Sean Manaea is penciled in to make his 2024 debut Sunday, as long as all goes well with Tuesday’s rehab start. Veteran right-hander Clay Holmes is scheduled to pitch the same day, so the Mets are planning for both to throw, with one of them piggybacking the other from the bullpen.

Manaea, 33, stepped up as the Mets’ ace while Senga was sidelined most of last year. He went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA over a career-high 181.2 innings, posting a 24.9% strikeout rate and an 8.5% walk rate.

The veteran southpaw was rewarded with a three-year, $75 million deal in free agency, but he has spent the entire season on the injured list with a right oblique strain suffered early in spring training. Tuesday marks his sixth rehab start and second at the Triple-A level since beginning his assignment June 7.

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Manaea’s previous Triple-A outing came June 20, when he allowed one run on two hits with seven strikeouts over 5.1 innings and retired the final 15 batters he faced. An MRI later revealed a loose body in his left elbow, leading to a brief shutdown. Despite the setback, he returned to the mound for a Double-A start on July 2.

New York’s pitching staff has been riddled with injuries—especially over the past month—but the returns of Senga and Manaea should provide a significant lift heading into the All-Star break. Following Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the Royals, the club will have four days off.