The Mets introduced Friday that right-hander Kodai Senga has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Catcher Francisco Alvarez has been reinstated from the injured record. New York additionally optioned catcher Hayden Senger and activated righty Wander Suero, whom they claimed off waivers yesterday.
Senga’s five-year, $75MM contract stipulated that he wanted to consent to being optioned at any level, that means he gave his approval for the transfer. It’s clearly a bit stunning at first look to see a former Rookie of the 12 months runner-up with a 3.02 ERA optioned to Triple-A, however the Mets have been mulling this transfer in latest weeks as Senga’s struggles have mounted. He’s pitched to a bleak 6.56 ERA over his previous eight begins and lasted solely 35 2/3 innings in that point. He’ll chew the bullet and head to the minors as he seems to be to get again on monitor earlier than the Mets’ overwhelmingly possible journey to the postseason.
SNY’s Andy Martino experiences that the choice to choice Senga doesn’t seem to have strained the connection between participant and crew. He was included in a number of discussions on the chance and in the end “felt revered by the method and consented with out challenge,” per Martino.
The demotion for Senga coincides with the anticipated promotion for pitching prospect Brandon Sproat, who’ll reportedly make his main league debut when he begins Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Reds. He’ll be part of a youth motion in a rotation that at present contains fellow prime prospects Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong. That trio of rookies will be part of David Peterson, Clay Holmes and the also-struggling Sean Manaea because the Mets’ starters in the interim.
Senga has to spend no less than 15 days within the minors and might solely be recalled sooner if it’s to interchange an injured participant on the roster. The Mets absolutely need him to get a number of Triple-A begins to attempt to get again on monitor anyhow, however his ends in Syracuse will decide whether or not he’s again to rejoin the rotation within the ultimate week or so of the common season — and within the playoffs.
Whereas the latest struggles are notable, it bears mentioning that Senga began the 2025 marketing campaign in wonderful vogue. By means of his first 13 begins, he posted an distinctive 1.47 earned run common, albeit with less-impressive fee stats (23.9% strikeout fee, 10.6% stroll fee) and a few extra skeptical grades from metrics like SIERA (4.28) and FIP (3.25). A hamstring pressure despatched Senga to the injured record in mid-June, and whereas he tossed 4 shutout innings in his return to the massive leagues just below one month later, his struggles started instantly thereafter.
If Senga had been nonetheless feeling the consequences of that hamstring damage, he’d possible have been positioned on the injured record slightly than optioned. Nonetheless, it’s doable that he developed some dangerous mechanical habits whereas compensating for that damage. He’s displayed uncharacteristically poor command for the reason that All-Star break, strolling 13% of his opponents (plus one other two plunked batters) and yielding a mean of two.02 homers per 9 innings pitched. Previous to his hamstring damage, he’d walked 10.7% of his profession opponents and surrendered simply 0.81 homers per 9 frames.
There are not any actual service time or wage implications with Senga’s demotion. He’s assured the total freight of that $75MM sum regardless, and his contract stipulates that he develop into a free agent at its conclusion, though he’ll have underneath six years of main league service time. Sending him to Syracuse doesn’t alter his window of management with the crew — it merely gives him a lower-stakes surroundings to attempt to get again to his All-Star kind.
The opposite facet of right this moment’s notable slate of transactions will see the astonishing return of Alvarez. The Mets’ catcher had been considered one of baseball’s hottest hitters since mid-July however tore a ligament in his thumb whereas sliding into second base. That damage occurred lower than three weeks in the past, and his well being troubles had been compounded when Alvarez suffered a damaged pinky finger upon being hit by a pitch on his minor league rehab task.
That broken thumb ligament would require offseason surgical procedure, however Alvarez will remarkably intestine out each of these accidents as he tries to assist his membership down the stretch. Alvarez, like Senga, was optioned to the minors earlier this summer season amid some pronounced struggles however returned with a vengeance, hitting .323/.408/.645 in 71 plate appearances earlier than his damage. He went simply 4-for-19 with eight strikeouts in 21 plate appearances throughout his rehab stint, although he did belt a grand slam in his ultimate minor league sport previous to right this moment’s activation.
