Kodai Senga close to providing needed pitching help for Mets?

Advertised New York Mets ace Kodai Senga is getting closer to making his 2024 MLB regular-season debut after suffering a moderate capsule strain during spring training.

Per SNY's John Flanigan and Bradley Locker of the New York Post, Senga made his first rehab appearance of the campaign pitching for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones on Wednesday night. The 31-year-old struck out six and surrendered no walks or hits across a 35-pitch outing and 2 and 2/3 innings of work.

"Today went well," Senga said through his translator following his performance. "We have to check off a few more boxes tomorrow and things will clear off more then and the day after as we work towards the next outing, but it felt good."

It's been a frustrating year for Senga, as multiple setbacks delayed his return to action while the big-league Mets endured a rough May that seemingly took them out of the postseason race. However, the Amazins have since recovered en route to beginning Thursday at 42-42. They ended Wednesday just one-and-a-half games back in the battle for the National League's last wild-card spot.

Getting Senga back in the rotation should open up some interesting possibilities for a Mets team that desperately needs bullpen help. The team could get creative ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline with starters like Jose Quintana and Luis Severino, who are in the final months of their contracts. However, Senga suggested he'll only face big-league batters in a meaningful game when he's fully ready.

"I don't want to think too far ahead," Senga added. "I know I have a couple more milestones to hit along the way so I just want to take things one game at a time and one day at a time."

The Mets aren't scheduled to face an opponent with a record of .500 or better until July 23 and have known for some time that Senga probably wouldn't be good to go before the All-Star break. Nevertheless, the latest update on his status is positive news for what surprisingly became one of the hottest clubs in all of MLB over the past three weeks.