Mets receive less than ideal update on Kodai Senga's rehab start in Triple-A

The New York Mets winning their game on Saturday brought them to a tie with the St. Louis Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot in the NL. It's been quite the run for this Mets team that was as many as 11 games under .500 earlier this season, as they've pushed their way into postseason contention and look like clear trade deadline buyers with deadline day just ten days away.

What's been most impressive about the Mets remaining in the postseason race is their ability to do so despite their ace, Kodai Senga, missing the entire season due to injury. At first, Senga was only supposed to miss the first month or two at most of the regular season, but setbacks followed, and the right-hander missed the entire first half of the campaign.

As frustrating as it has been to have Senga out, the 31-year-old was set to make his final rehab start on Saturday before presumably being activated from the IL next week. Based on how that start went, it's very possible that the Mets will change their minds.

Rough rehab start could delay Kodai Senga's season debut even further

Getting the start for Triple-A Syracuse, Senga navigated through the first three innings without allowing an earned run. The fourth inning, however, was a different story, as he allowed five runs on six hits without recording an out in the frame on 30 total pitches thrown. His final line was not pretty.

On the bright side, Senga was able to reach his expected pitch count of 80-85. The problem is, he was completely ineffective against a Triple-A lineup, and his fastball velocity was down a bit from the 95.7 mph he averaged last season per Baseball Savant.

Now, with Senga having such a brutal outing on Saturday, the Mets have a decision to make. Do they give Senga one more Triple-A start even though he's almost fully stretched out, or do they chalk this outing up as a fluke and give Senga the ball in what will be a huge game against the Atlanta Braves next weekend? Assuming they keep Senga on his regular schedule, the right-hander would be lined up to take the ball on next Friday against Atlanta at Citi Field.

Getting Senga back would give this Mets team that ranks 20th in starting pitcher ERA a big boost, but that's with the expectation of Senga pitching like the guy who finished seventh in the NL Cy Young balloting in his first MLB season.

He allowed just one run in his first three rehab starts combined, but he threw more pitches this time around and seemed to struggle with the increased workload. The Mets are desperate, but they also need to ensure Senga is at his best when they activate him, especially if he'll be matched up against a playoff team. It'll be interesting to see what they decide.