Mets injured All-Star ace takes big step in return to mound

Mets ace Kodai Senga has been shut down for nearly a month after being diagnosed with a capsule strain in his right shoulder, but after a recent MRI, he’s been cleared to return to baseball activity. Senga won’t start throwing immediately but could do so within the next week, manager Carlos Mendoza announced to reporters, via SNY’s Danny Abriano.

At the time of his injury, Senga was shut down for a minimum of three weeks. That was extended another week to 10 days, but the latest MRI is far more encouraging, it seems. Once he’s cleared some strength tests, he’ll begin a throwing progression.

Senga’s initial diagnosis launched a fifth-starter competition in camp that was eventually won by right-hander Tylor Megill. He’ll slot into the five spot behind Opening Day starter Jose Quintana and the trio of Sean Manaea, Adrian Houser and Luis Severino. Given that Senga will be picking up a ball for the first time in around a month, he’ll effectively need a full spring training to build up to game readiness. That means the Quintana-Manaea-Houser-Severino-Megill quintet could be in place for the first month or so of the season (pending other injuries on the starting staff, of course).

The 31-year-old Senga was a Rookie of the Year finalist in 2023, exceeding preseason expectations by rattling off 166 1/3 innings of 2.98 ERA ball with a 29.1% strikeout rate. Senga’s 11.1% walk rate could use some improvement, but he took little time cementing him as a quality big league starter. He’s in the second season of a five-year, $75M pact spanning the 2023-27 seasons.