Kodai Senga's dreadful injury update won't force Mets into action like it should

The New York Mets' disappointing offseason got a whole lot worse on Thursday. Kodai Senga is expected to begin the season on IL after suffering a shoulder strain in spring training, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Yesterday, the official word on Senga was "arm fatigue," but it would appear the injury is worse than initially expected.

That puts New York in a precarious spot. Senga is by far the Mets' best pitcher. He dominated in his first MLB season, going 12-7 in 29 starts with a 2.98 ERA and 1.220 WHIP. The 31-year-old registered 202 strikeouts in 166.2 innings pitched, in the MLB's 87th percentile for punch-out rate.

After trading Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the previous trade deadline, the Mets' rotation was already thin at the top. Now, José Quintana and Luis Severino are projected to lead New York's rotation to start the season. The obvious hope is that Senga makes a swift recovery, but it's generally unsettling for arm fatigue and shoulder soreness to strike in February. There's a lot of baseball left.

If there was any silver lining, it was the perceived notion that Senga's injury could force the front office's hand. It has been a quiet offseason under new team president David Stearns, but with Senga out of comission, New York fans dared to hope. Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are both still available. Both would silence qualms about the state of New York's rotation — especially with Stearns' stated desire to contend in 2024.

Unfortunately, more cold water was tossed on the Mets fanbase Thursday morning. Stearns told reporters that Senga's injury does not change their free agency plans.

Kodai Senga injury doesn't change Mets' plans for starting rotation

The Mets are stuck in a weird spot. The prior front office regime essentially admitted to kicking the can down the road to 2025 when the Verlander and Scherzer trades went through. And yet, Stearns was brought from Milwaukee to New York with an explicit mandate to prove his value on a big-market stage. He said the Mets want to contend in 2024, and there are several expensive vets on the roster. Pete Alonso, now in the final year of his deal, stands out.

If the Mets want to contend, the starting rotation has to improve. Even once Senga gets back. As the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Arizona Diamondbacks all proved in the postseason, one ace is not enough. You need several bankable inning-eaters once the playoffs arrive. Senga is tremendous, but he's now marred by injury concerns before the season even starts.

Snell won NL Cy Young last season with the San Diego Padres, posting a league-best 2.25 ERA. He would dramatically change the Mets' outlook. Jordan Montgomery won the World Series, with several excellent postseason performances now under his belt. If the Mets want to contend, a proven winner of Montgomery's caliber should certainly be appealing.

We also have to factor in the divisional competition New York faces. Atlanta and Philadelphia are borderline juggernauts in the National League at this point. Both teams have elite pitching staffs. If the Mets want to keep pace, it comes at a price. No team can afford that price more than Steve Cohen's Mets. It's all about commitment.

Right now, it appears the Mets are lacking in that key area.