The New York Mets managed to end a four-game losing streak on Saturday with a strong victory over the San Francisco Giants, but Kodai Senga once again faced challenges on the mound. In his fourth start after returning from a hamstring injury, Senga struggled significantly with his command, highlighting ongoing issues within the Mets’ pitching staff.
Senga’s Performance Details and Team Pitching Challenges
Senga lasted only four innings in the outing, allowing four earned runs, including a home run by former Met Dom Smith. During those innings, he struck out four batters, walked three, and hit a batter while throwing 71 pitches. This outing continued a worrying pattern for the Mets, who have not seen a starter besides David Peterson pitch beyond six innings since June 11.
Before his injury, Senga was highly effective and regarded as the ace of the Mets rotation. In the 13 starts preceding his hamstring issue, the 32-year-old recorded a 7-3 record with a 1.47 ERA and 70 strikeouts across 73.2 innings.
However, after returning from the injured list, Senga’s performance declined sharply. Over four starts, he posted a 5.25 ERA, struck out 12 batters in 12 innings, but walked 10. He exceeded five innings only once during this stretch.
Manager Carlos Mendoza’s Assessment of Senga’s Struggles
Following the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza addressed Senga’s difficulties, focusing on his inability to locate strikes. Mendoza said,
“Having a hard time feeling the strike zone,”
and added,
“Noncompetitive pitches, lot of three-ball counts, walks, hit by pitch, and then he got behind in counts. They made him pay, he’s just gotta stay in the attack…be aggressive with all of his pitches and he’s not doing that right now, we gotta help him.”
—Carlos Mendoza, Mets Manager
Senga himself acknowledged that “uncompetitive pitches” contributed to his poor outing against the Giants.
The Broader Context: Mets’ Pitching and Senga’s Past Success
While the Mets bullpen has shown marked improvement following trade deadline acquisitions, Senga’s recent performances fall far short of his 2023 rookie season form. That season, he was selected as an All-Star, finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, and placed seventh in the NL Cy Young Award race.
The drop in effectiveness from an All-Star level pitcher to his current struggles adds pressure to the Mets’ rotation as they compete tightly with the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East standings.
Outlook for Kodai Senga and the Mets Moving Forward
The Mets are hoping that Senga can regain his form in the upcoming starts, as his role is critical in their pursuit of first place in the division. Given the recent inconsistencies, the team and fans alike remain cautious yet optimistic that the right-hander will repair his command and help stabilize New York’s starting pitching staff.