The Mets have a decision to make when it comes to Kodai Senga.
Do you have Senga make his next start — slated for Sunday against the Reds in Cincinnati — or skip him or do something more drastic? It seems all options are on the table as a new report from The Athletic's Will Sammon states the Mets are considering a few possibilities, "including potentially asking him to accept an optional minor league assignment" — according to people familiar with the Mets' thinking.
Per Senga's contract, he would have to consent to an option.
But is a minor league option out of the realm of possibility? It was once when Senga was regarded as the team's best pitcher after pitching to an All-Star selection and becoming the runner-up for the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2023. Even this year, the right-hander pitched to a 1.47 ERA before his injury put him on the shelf for a month. But since returning in mid-July, Senga has struggled. He's posted a 6.56 ERA across 35.2 innings since the return, which includes his last outing in which he allowed five runs in 4.2 innings against the Marlins on Sunday.
That performance prompted manager Carlos Mendozato hint at changing the rotation to help Senga. Another possibility for Senga is pushing his turn in the order altogether.
The Post's Mike Puma reported Tuesday that the Mets are "leaning" on having Nolan McLean pitch the series finale Sunday on normal rest after David Peterson and Jonah Tong pitch Friday and Saturday.
McLean has taken the Mets by storm, winning his first four starts with a 1.37 ERA, including Tuesday against the AL-best Detroit Tigers. Clay Holmes is slotted to pitch Wednesday's series finale, and the off day on Thursday allows the Mets to give McLean that start on Sunday.
But simply skipping Senga's turn is a temporary solution. The Mets need Senga and Sean Manaea — another struggling starter — back to form to make a playoff run, but time could be running out to do so.
“They are until they’re not," Mendoza said of Senga and Manaea's place in the rotation ahead of Tuesday's game. "We haven't made any decisions yet, we’re still having discussions. We’re going to be flexible and we gonna take advantage of off days and continue to have discussions. But as of right now, we haven’t made any decisions yet.”
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