New York Mets ace Kodai Senga suffered a hamstring strain covering first base in a win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday and will be placed on the injured list, manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game.
Senga came down awkwardly on first base after jumping to catch a toss from Pete Alonso in the sixth inning on a ground ball hit by C.J. Abrams. He recorded the out, but crumpled to the ground and clutched his right leg. After a brief conversation with staff, Senga was removed from the game and walked off under his own power.
Senga will undergo further testing on Friday, June 13 to determine the severity of the hamstring issue.
Mendoza told reporters that after leaving the game, Senga had asked his interpreter to let Alonso know he had felt something in his hamstring a step before jumping to receive the throw – and that it wasn’t the first baseman’s high throw that caused the injury.
The injury could a big blow for the Mets, who have MLB’s best record. Senga, whose 1.47 ERA is the best in baseball, was cruising along in a scoreless outing until the injury forced him out, but picked up the win to improve to 7-3 in 13 starts this season.
The unfortunate scene was reminiscent of Senga’s only regular-season start from 2024, during which he which he suffered a calf injury that kept him out of action until the postseason. Prior to that outing, Senga had missed the first half of his second MLB season with arm problems.
While the Mets will be without Senga, offseason signings Sean Manaea ($75 million) and Frankie Montas ($34 million) are rehabbing from injuries and are expected to make their 2025 debuts in the coming weeks.
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