Mets' Kodai Senga pauses facing hitters to focus on mechanics
Kodai Senga #34 of the Mets watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of of game one of a double header against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field on April 4, 2024. Credit: Getty Images
Kodai Senga’s comeback from a strained right shoulder has taken an unexpected detour: He has paused facing hitters — a stage that suggested he was getting close — to go back to the basics.
After Senga’s recent bullpen session, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he “wouldn’t be surprised if he’s gotta throw a couple more bullpens” before Senga returns to batting practice or heads out on a minor-league rehab assignment.
Saturday marked one week since Senga pitched to hitters. It wasn’t clear when he would next get on a mound, never mind get on a mound with a batter in the box.
It is a virtual certainty that Senga will not be ready to return by May 27, which is when he is eligible to come off the injured list.
“I’m kind of learning the person here, but he’s very meticulous in how he goes about his business,” Mendoza said. “I do feel like this is a guy who knows himself better than anybody. We just gotta continue to play it slow and give it the time he needs. If he needs two extra days before he throws another bullpen, so be it. That’s what we got with him.”
The focus for now is Senga’s mechanics, according to Mendoza.
In February, when the Mets shut down Senga because of a posterior capsule strain in his throwing shoulder, Senga said it was the result of “just a mechanical issue.”
“I was supposed to throw a certain way and I wasn’t able to mimic that motion,” he said Feb. 22 through an interpreter. “Simple.”
After he twice faced hitters in a live batting-practice setting, Senga’s mechanics apparently are still out of whack. Hence his desire to straighten that out before moving forward.
Pitching with poor mechanics, Mendoza said, “puts you at risk of dangers.”
Senga declined an interview request.
“It’s already been a few months now [and] we don’t want any type of setback here,” Mendoza said. “We want to make sure that especially with a player like that, who I’m learning, I want him to be honest and I want to make sure that he expresses what he’s feeling before we take the next step.”
Raley looks for answers
Reliever Brooks Raley will visit Dr. Keith Meister, a leading sports orthopedic surgeon, in Texas on Tuesday hoping to find answers about his bothersome left elbow.
Speaking to reporters for the first time in three weeks Saturday — and the first time since he and the Mets realized his injury was more serious than initially thought — Raley mentioned ligament damage and bone spurs but said “it’s a little more complex” than a straightforward diagnosis.
He might need Tommy John surgery, he said.
“I just need clarity,” said Raley, who will turn 36 next month. “All options are being weighed. For me and my skill set and what I do, my age doesn’t really matter to me. It’s about being healthy. If I’m not the same player on the field, I don’t really bring a whole lot to the team.”
When he went on the injured list on April 21 with left elbow inflammation, the Mets figured Raley would be back after a two-week breather. But when he resumed throwing, pain remained. Meister reviewed Raley’s MRI from afar and now Raley wants to see him in person.
“You get a few more eyes on [the tests] and they’re like, hold on a second, we gotta look at this a little bit,” Raley said. “Trying to throw, it just didn’t feel quite right. It’s unfortunate for sure. I love this team, I love this clubhouse, the fans and whatnot. It’s been a tough couple of weeks.”
Peterson moves up
David Peterson (offseason hip surgery) will make a rehab start for Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday after three scoreless outings with Low-A St. Lucie.
He has two more after that “on the schedule,” he said. That will bring him to the May 27 eligibility date.
So far, everything has been smooth.
“Sometimes,’’ he said, “boring is best.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
