By Sunday 
The Mets have been rolling—winners of six straight and sitting comfortably with a 45-24 record. Their pitching staff? The best ERA in baseball. Kodai Senga? A clear-cut All-Star candidate. But on Thursday night, the good vibes took a serious hit.
A Scary Moment on a Routine Play
It happened in the sixth inning against the Nationals. CJ Abrams hit what should’ve been a routine grounder to first. Pete Alonso fielded it cleanly, but his toss to Senga, covering the bag, was high. Senga leapt to snag the ball and awkwardly planted his foot on the base.
That’s when things went sideways.
Senga immediately grabbed his right hamstring. He did manage to walk off under his own power, but you could almost feel the air get sucked out of the Mets’ dugout. After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed what everyone feared: Senga is heading to the IL and will undergo an MRI on Friday.
Alonso: “It just sucks”
Pete Alonso, visibly frustrated postgame, took some of the blame for the errant throw. But Senga, like a true teammate, tried to ease his mind. He told Alonso he’d already been feeling discomfort in the hamstring before the play. Still, Alonso summed up the mood pretty accurately when he said, “It just sucks. It sucks to be involved in that.”
And honestly? It does.
Senga Was on a Tear
Senga was having a dominant 2025—rocking a 1.47 ERA over 13 starts, leading the majors. After an injury-plagued 2024, he looked fully back, anchoring a Mets rotation that has carried the team through a scorching start. The Mets’ team ERA sits at 2.80, the best in the league.
So yeah, this hurts. A lot.
Who Steps Up Now?
The silver lining? Reinforcements are ready. Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas are both inching toward returns this month. And with Senga sidelined, there’s no more guessing game about who makes the rotation.
Manaea, of course, filled this role last year—and thrived. He posted a 3.47 ERA and earned a three-year, $75 million deal to stay in Queens. Montas, signed for two years at $34 million, is still more of a wild card. But the Mets believe in what he can become in their high-tech pitching lab.
Mendoza has already said Senga’s injury won’t rush Montas’ return. And maybe that’s the right call. This team has built its success on depth and steady hands.
This Is the Test
Kodai Senga is the heart of the Mets’ rotation—but this roster was built to endure. Now we get to see if all the talk about depth, labs, and player development holds water. If Manaea can repeat last year’s heroics, or if Montas finally taps into his upside, the Mets could weather the storm.
But make no mistake—this stretch will define more than a couple box scores. It’s a test of identity. Let’s see if the Mets are who we think they are.
Keywords: Kodai Senga, Mets rotation
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