Mets ace Kodai Senga to be shut down due to new triceps injury

The New York Mets opted against spending huge money in the offseason, instead banking on veterans on cheaper deals and their young stars helping the team compete for a postseason spot, all while their prospects develop. Entering Friday night, the Mets are 21-28, sitting fourth in the National League East division.

One pivotal player who has yet to play for the Mets this season is Kodai Senga, who showed promise in his first year with the team. Senga was sidelined in spring training due to a moderate posterior capsule strain and was placed on the 60-day injured list. The hope was that Senga would return by late May. Then, Senga had issues with his pitching mechanics, so his rehabilitation was paused.

But this week, Senga experienced tightness in his triceps, only adding more concerns for Mets fans. On Friday, ahead of the team's game against the San Francisco Giants, manager Carlos Mendoza said that Senga underwent an MRI, which revealed nerve inflammation. As a result, Senga is receiving a cortisone shot and will be shut down for an additional three to five days.

Kodai Senga shut down due to triceps inflammation

This is not ideal news for Mets fans, who continue to see Senga's rehab from his initial shoulder injury get derailed again, this time due to triceps inflammation.

Even with this latest update, Mendoza didn't sound concerned, saying they checked out everything and saw that it was "just inflammation." Mendoza said they knew it would take a while, "and here we are dealing with it."

The hope is that Senga will be fine after the cortisone shot and be able to resume his rebahiliation. From there, it will be a matter of time until the team and fanbase gets a firmer idea as to when Senga could make his 2024 debut.

Senga impressed last season, recording a 2.98 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, a 12-7 win-loss record, 202 strikeouts, and 77 walks in 166.1 innings.

The Mets remain confident that Senga can recover, but this is now yet another setback for the ace.