“I watched the last couple of outings, some inconsistency with strike throwing,” Carlos Mendoza said, a blunt assessment that framed the latest update on Kodai Senga’s rehab and the club’s timeline for his return.
The urgency behind Mendoza’s words is simple: Senga was rocked in those two most recent rehab outings at Triple‑A, allowing six runs — five earned — on 10 hits and four walks over 8.2 total innings. Those line-drive, walk-prone appearances sit awkwardly beside the promise he carried when he arrived from Japan.
Mendoza didn’t question Senga’s health: “Physically, he feels fine, which is good, but obviously, we need to see some results here now.” Instead he framed the issue as execution — the Mets need to see a pitcher who can consistently land strikes and turn that arsenal into outs.
That demand is both technical and tactical. “He’s gotta be able to compete in the strike zone,” Mendoza said, pointing to the strike‑to‑ball control that separates a starter who eats innings from one who hands opponents extra chances. For Senga, the margin has been thin in his recent Triple‑A work.
The statistics underline the problem. Senga’s ERA this season sits at 9.00; he had made five starts before being placed on the injured list with lumbar spine inflammation. The two poor rehab outings added to a small sample that now needs to be corrected if the Mets are going to use him to stabilize a rotation that has underperformed.
That stabilization matters now because the team is searching for pitching help while sitting at 28-36. Mendoza made clear the club isn’t going to rush Senga back on reputation. “I’ve been saying it with a lot of our guys. I think it’s just him attacking and dominating Triple‑A lineups,” he said, using plain language to set the bar: dominance, not mere competence.
The broader picture is familiar to Mets fans. Senga was an All‑Star in his rookie season with the team and came to the majors with high expectations; the club entered the year hoping to get key players back and push toward a return to contention. Francisco Lindor also seemed to be closing in on a return, giving the roster a potential boost even as the pitching corps waits for clarity.
Mendoza’s assessment supplies the plan — and the hold. The Mets will keep watching starts from Triple‑A, looking for cleaner command, fewer walks and a rebuilt ability to pitch to contact on their terms. That scrutiny extends to the very next outings: Senga must show he can compete in the strike zone and produce results before the organization will seriously consider activating him.
Practically, that means Senga’s timetable is results‑dependent. The Mets were scheduled to return to action Sunday afternoon at 4:10 p.m. ET against the San Diego Padres, and Mendoza’s comments suggest the rotation’s near‑term composition will hinge on what Senga delivers in the coming Triple‑A starts. Until he does what Mendoza demanded — attack the zone and dominate lineups — the club will withhold a promotion and the certainty a healthy Senga would provide.
