Ahead of their series opener against the Nationals on Tuesday, the Mets placed Kodai Senga on the 15-day injured list with lumbar spine inflammation and recalled Christian Scott from Triple-A Syracuse.
Senga came out of the gate strong this season. In his first two starts, the 33-year-old pitched 11.2 innings, allowing four runs (3.09 ERA) and striking out 16. But over his next three starts, Senga allowed 16 earned runs in just 8.1 innings (17.28 ERA). His average fastball velocity also dropped noticeably
over the course of the season’s first month, falling from 97.4 mph on March 31 to 95.1 mph in his most recent start against the Rockies on Sunday. Senga’s IL stint is retroactive to April 27.
Scott started for the Mets on April 23 against the Twins, marking his first appearance in the majors since July 21, 2024. Scott did not fare well against Minnesota, lasting 1.1 innings while allowing a run on five walks and a hit-by-pitch. He was optioned back to Triple-A the following day, but is already back with the big league club before making another start in Syracuse.
The Mets are effectively operating with four starting pitchers — Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and now Scott — while Sean Manaea and David Peterson provide multi-inning relief out of the bullpen. It remains to be seen if one of those two left-handers will assume the role of full-time starter in the near future.
