QUEENS, NY — New York Mets ace Kodai Senga was forced to leave his gem of a start early on Thursday afternoon against the Washington Nationals after suffering a strained hamstring.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the right-handed ace will be heading to the injured list, though the severity of it will not be known until Senga undergoes an MRI on Friday.
“We just have to wait and see what we’re dealing with,” Mendoza said.
The star right-hander was running to cover first on a CJ Abrams ground ball to Pete Alonso with one out in the top of the sixth inning. Alonso’s throw to the moving target that was Senga was high, prompting the 32-year-old to make a leaping catch and step on the bag on his way down.
He did so successfully, but injured himself in the process, clutching at the back of his right leg. Taking a few steps after making the play, Senga fell to the ground where he remained for a few moments before walking gingerly to the clubhouse.
Mendoza said after the game that Senga felt the injury upon making the last stride before the jump.
It ended a masterful performance prematurely, as Senga allowed just one hit and one walk in 5.2 innings of work with five strikeouts.
Any sort of injury concern provides a major red flag for Senga, who was limited to just 5.1 innings last season due to shoulder and calf issues. Despite the lost season, he had been brilliant in 2025, as Thursday’s start lowered his ERA to a sterling 1.47.
“You hate to see anybody go down, especially a guy like Senga after what he went through last year,” Mendoza said. “Injuries happen. We feel for him, but nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got people coming and the guys that are healthy now, they’re going to continue to step up… We have to keep going. We’ll get him back.”
The Mets’ rotation has exceeded all expectations, especially considering it is a patchwork unit with Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea in the final stages of their injury rehabs. Their 2.82 ERA this season, entering Thursday, was the best in the majors.
Paul Blackburn could potentially slot back into the rotation as a spot starter in the interim.
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