On Thursday night, Kodai Senga labored in his second start for Triple-A Syracuse since accepting an option to the Minor Leagues.
Senga scattered six hits and two walks while allowing four runs across 3 2/3 innings against Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He threw 81 pitches (46 strikes) and notched four strikeouts. All four runs charged to Senga came in the fourth inning.
Thursday’s outing marked a stark contrast from Senga’s first Minor League start last Friday, when he flourished, tossing six innings of one-run ball.
What comes next -- including whether Senga would be a part of a potential playoff roster -- is unclear. He’s first eligible to return to the Majors on Sept. 20.
“I think we’ll have the conversations, and we’ll take the best 13 guys that we feel are going to give us the best chance to win baseball games in October,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on Thursday. “But in the meantime, we’ve got [nine] more, and we’ll continue to treat it that way. Senga, I think the biggest thing for him is to go out there today and have a good performance, and then we’ll have decisions there.”
The original plan was for Senga to make two Minor League starts before potentially returning to the Majors. But that plan was always contingent on how Senga performed at Triple-A.
Senga’s first Minor League start certainly seemed encouraging, with Mendoza praising the righty's ability to command the strike zone and attack the opponent. But on Thursday, Senga’s strike rate dipped from 70.2% to 56.7%.
He still utilized his six-pitch mix, recording 10 whiffs on four different pitches, including his signature “ghost fork.”
On Tuesday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns offered a glimpse at the evaluation process the club will use to assess whether Senga can contribute again in the Majors this season.
“Results always matter,” Stearns said. “Results are a part of it. And it’s, 'Where is the stuff?' Has the stuff ticked up to the point where we feel comfortable that it’s going to consistently get Major League hitters out?”
Senga opened the season pitching like an ace, posting a 1.47 ERA through his first 13 starts. But he wasn’t the same pitcher after a five-week stint on the IL for a right hamstring strain; his 6.56 ERA in eight starts after the All-Star break prompted the Mets to consider a demotion.
The Mets have been aggressive and creative in their attempt to stabilize a wobbly rotation as they fight for a postseason berth. Three highly-touted rookies -- Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong -- have earned big league call-ups. And on Tuesday, the team opted to piggyback Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea; the veterans responded admirably.
With nine games remaining in the regular season, New York holds a two-game lead over the idle D-backs for the final NL Wild Card spot following its 6-1 win on Thursday.