Kodai Senga's Suspect Start Leaves Mets With More Questions Than Answers

The New York Mets' rotation is in shambles in early June. Consistency is key with any pitching staff, and so far the Mets have not had that, especially when it comes to Kodai Senga.

The one-time All-Star was placed on the injured list at the end of April with lumbar-spine inflammation. He made his return on Tuesday and started the Mets' 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, offering little hope as a solution to the team's longstanding pitching problems.

Kodai Senga's Future With Mets Is On Shakier Ground Than Ever

Senga started his night in this sequence: walk, walk, three-run home run, lineout, strikeout, and home run. Those were the only two hits Senga gave up during his outing. He only allowed one more baserunner, a walk in the third inning that was erased on a double play. He only went four innings because his first inning was 36 pitches long.

Interestingly, Senga cut down the usage of the forkball from 23% to 14% in the outing and raised the usage of his cutter from 22% to 33% and got four whiffs. His slider and forkball velocity were a slight tick down. The home runs came off one cutter and one fastball, which could explain the pivot to his slider as a primary offering after the first inning.

"I noticed that they weren't swinging up much down in the zone, so I pivoted over to the slider. " Senga said after the game via interpreter. "There were a lot of sliders, and that was effective, because those last three innings were effective. That first inning is frustrating."

it's not getting better for senga https://t.co/oj1rjcVYlu pic.twitter.com/XCJdE0xfQ4

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 16, 2026

The right-hander has been very ineffective this season, and that showed up early; his .417 wOBA allowed is in the bottom 1% in baseball. In other words, batters are hitting Senga at a Hall of Fame level in 2026. That is not sustainable for the Mets to have in their rotation long term. No one is going to win games with pitchers who can't get out of the first inning.

The Mets could, of course, consider an opener, but that would mean three-fifths of the rotation would be on such a plan. It goes without saying that this plan would kill the Mets' already-taxed bullpen.

When asked postgame, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he's "pretty sure" that Senga will get another start. Mendoza added that he needs to confirm with the president of baseball operations, David Sterns, and the coaching staff before making that decision official. It's important to note that Senga will need to accept an option to the minor leagues as per a clause in his contract.

Senga did strike out five batters in the outing, so that is a positive. It’s also good that he was able to lock in after a poor start, but throwing 36 pitches in the first inning and 82 over four innings is not a recipe for success. If he is granted another opportunity to pitch, his leash will be short. It's difficult to believe given how good he's been in the past, but we may be coming up on the end of Senga's tenure in New York.