The New York Mets haven't even played their first Spring Training game yet, but they're already dealing with a pitcher injury.
Starting pitcher Kodai Senga, who has been dealing with arm fatigue, has been diagnosed with a moderate right posterior capsule strain. He will be shut down until his symptoms subside, president of baseball operations David Stearns announced Thursday morning. Senga is expected to begin the season on the injured list, and there is no timeline for his return.
The Mets now have a glaring hole in their rotation that they need to fill. It would be pretty easy for owner Steve Cohen to dig into his incredibly deep pockets and come up with some cash to pay Blake Snell, who remains unsigned, or one of the other free agent pitchers still on the market, but that's not the approach the Mets plan on taking. Stearns said they don't intend to sign a pitcher to fill Senga's spot, but will instead use their depth.
Senga's absence could be a chance for some of the organization's young pitching prospects to get some major league experience, but the Mets aren't interested in that either. Stearns said that they want Mike Vasil, Christian Scott, and Dominic Hamel to get more experience in the minors before they make the trip to the majors.
So who does that leave to fill that Senga-shaped hole in the rotation? According to Newsday's Tim Healey, Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, Jose Butto, and Max Kranick will likely compete for that spot in the coming weeks.
This is not how anyone hoped the 31-year-old Senga would start his second season with the Mets, especially since he had such a fantastic debut. After signing with the Mets out of Japan prior to the 2023 season, he put up a 2.98 ERA with 202 strikeouts over 29 starts and 166 1/3 innings, and made it to his first MLB All-Star Game. Whoever wins the competition for Senga's roster spot will have enormous shoes to fill.
