On Wednesday, Kodai Senga, the starter for the Mets, was nowhere to be seen.
“After his side session yesterday, he came in and experienced some arm fatigue,” Mendoza told reporters. “So, he stayed inside and we’re taking a look at him.”
When questioned about the implications for the starting, Mendoza said, “We’ll see.”
“We gotta get with the trainers because that was late,” Mendoza continued. “I have to get more information. He got on the mound yesterday and today, he came in and overall arm fatigue.”
Senga is expected to be the team’s first starting if healthy. He pitched to a 12-7 record with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts last season, which earned him votes for the NL Cy Young Award and an All-Star nomination.
What might this signify for the rotation of the Mets? Though the team does not precisely have another No. 1-type starter to take his position, it does have depth in the rotation.
fresh inclusions Although they each have shortcomings, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea strengthened the rotation this offseason. Although Severino has the potential to be an ace, his durability and recent play (6.65 ERA in 89 1/3 innings last year) are concerning. In 117 2/3 innings (37 games, 10 starts) during the previous season, Manaea had a 4.44 ERA.
At this stage in his career, José Quintana is viewed more as a back-end starter.
Mendoza announced that Tylor Megill, who will start for the Mets against the Cardinals in their opening spring training game on Saturday, will start. Megill made 25 starts last season and finished with a 9-8 record and a 4.70 ERA, sort of acting as a sixth starter.
Additionally, Joey Lucchesi started nine games for the squad the previous year while recording a 2.98 ERA. Another possibility for depth rotation is José Butto. In his last five outings (2023), he was excellent, recording a 3.29 ERA over 27 1/3 innings with 28 strikeouts. All of his appearances were starts.
They might also go with one of the young players like Christian Scott, Dominic Hamel, or Mike Vasil who have impressed the squad thus far in camp.
Mendoza stated on Tuesday that he could “definitely” see these pitchers seeing some action in the major leagues this year.
“To get through 162-plus, you’re going to need a lot of (pitchers),” Mendoza said. “They’re right there in the conversation and… we’ve been talking about depth, and they provide that.”
Should the injury be more severe, there are still pitchers available as free agents, like as Jordan Montgomery, who assisted the Rangers in winning the World Series, and Blake Snell, the 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner. Remarkably, these two top agents Scott Boras represents have not been doing all that well in the market.
David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the Mets, has made it clear that he wants to provide young players with opportunities, so it doesn’t seem likely that they will enter the market right now. In addition, they would have to pay 110% luxury tax on any new hires they make because, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Mets’ $312.6 million payroll exceeds the $297 million threshold.