The New York Mets just can’t seem to catch a break. The team has recovered from an 0-5 start to the season with four wins in its last six games. New York’s often woebegone National League entrant has looked considerably more competitive as of late, but — as often it is with the 63-year-old ballblub — every silver lining has a dark cloud.
And so it is on Wednesday, as the New York Mets transferred starting pitcher Kodai Senga to the 60-day injured list. The move ruins the hopes of many a fan in Mets Nation, who had hoped to see the second-year Japanese hurler would return from a shoulder injury by late April/early May.
As Ray Charles once crooned: “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have no luck at all.”
Senga Seen as New York Mets Staff Ace-Apparent
Senga, who signed a $75 million contract with the New York Mets prior to the 2023 season, had a sparking debut campaign with the team. The 31-year-old, relying on a devastating “Ghost Fork” pitch, went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 29 innings last year.
With the New York Mets’ aged superstars Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer having been shipped to the Lone Star State near the end of last year’s disastrous MLB campaign, Senga was seen as the the rightful heir to the team’s staff ace throne.
However, Senga’s right-throwing shoulder had other ideas.
New York Mets Make Optimism-Crushing Move
However, Senga began experiencing arm fatigue and shoulder soreness in spring training and opened the season on the 15-day IL with a “moderate capsule strain” on the back of his right shoulder. The New York Mets were optimistic of a fairly swift return to the rotation after Senga told reporters he felt fine on the heels of throwing back-to-back days on April 2.
But further updates regarding Senga were remote at best until Wednesday. Without further elaborating in regards to any setback suffered by Senga, the New York Mets shifted him to the 60-day IL.
By moving Senga to the 60-day IL, he no longer takes up a spot on the 40-man roster. However, the earliest he can return to the New York Mets is May 27. For now, Jose Quintana remains the No. 1 starter in Gotham‘s makeshift rotation.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
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