PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Kodai Senga flew to New York a couple of days ago to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection in his throwing shoulder that the New York Mets hope will help accelerate his timeline for a return.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that Senga will remain shut down from throwing for another three weeks.
After the shutdown period, the plan would call for Senga (who has returned to Florida) to follow a normal throwing progression for spring training. That kind of ramp-up typically lasts approximately six weeks.
Mendoza wouldn’t commit to a target date. But speculatively and just from doing the math, if everything goes well for Senga, a reasonable best-case scenario points to a return in May.
The timeline requires flexibility. Ultimately, how Senga feels across the different stages will determine his return date. Setbacks can happen. For example, Mendoza mentioned the first 10 days as being a key indicator.
“You have to let the shot do the work and once he starts ramping up, his throwing program will give a better idea if he’s bouncing back and all of that,” Mendoza said. “For now, we just gotta let it heal.”
On Thursday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns announced Senga, the presumed No. 1 starter and the surest thing in a rotation full of uncertainty, was expected to start the season on the injured list and will not be ready for Opening Day. The Mets labeled the injury as a moderate posterior capsule strain in his right shoulder. Before Sunday, Senga’s timeline lacked concrete information, but medical experts, speaking generally about the injury, suggested a schedule that aligns with what the Mets seems to be following.
With Senga out, the Mets are expected to turn to Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, José Butto and Max Kranick as depth candidates to replace the spot in the starting rotation. The rest of the Mets’ rotation features Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, José Quintana and Adrian Houser.
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