Mets right-handerKodai Senga, who has struggled since returning from a hamstring injury on July 11, has given his consent to be optioned to the minor leagues.
Because of a stipulation in his contract, Senga had the ability to refuse the assignment.
SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reports that the minor league stint for Senga should last about two starts, adding that the pitcher's relationship with the Mets is "in very good shape." Martino notes that Senga "felt respected by the process and consented without issue."
With Senga sent to Triple-A Syracuse, the Mets added recently-signed reliever Wander Suero to the active roster.
"As we talked to Kodai throughout this, I think it became clear that, from both of our perspectives, this was the right thing to do for the team and the player," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said ahead of Friday's game in Cincinnati. "Kodai has a very set routine, he feels very confident in his routine. So a role transition at this point didn't feel like the right thing to do for either party.
"I think Kodai also recognizes that the results right now aren't what he's looking for, what we need. He wants to figure this out. We think getting him a little bit of time away from elite competition, away from the pressure of a playoff race is the right thing to do. He was amenable to it and we certainly appreciate that."
It's been a tale of two seasons for the 32-year-old Senga, who had a 1.47 ERA in 73.2 innings over his first 13 starts of the year before getting injured.
He suffered a hamstring injury while covering first base during his start on June 12, and did not return until July 11.
Senga fired 4.0 shutout innings in his return, but has not been right since then.
In eight starts from July 21 to Aug. 31, Senga posted a 6.56 ERA (6.11 FIP) in 35.2 innings while allowing 39 hits (including eight home runs) and walking 22.
During the aforementioned eight-start span, Senga failed to complete 5.0 innings on five occasions, and never pitched more than 5.2 innings in any start.
Senga's struggles came to a head against the woeful Marlins in his last outing, when he surrendered five runs on seven hits in just 4.2 innings.
After that outing, Carlos Mendoza was non-committal about what would be next for Senga, saying all options were on the table. The right-hander's next start would've come on Sunday against the Reds in Cincinnati, but Mendoza said on Wednesday that David Peterson and Jonah Tong would be starting on Friday and Saturday, respectively, adding that Sunday's starter was to be determined.
It was reported on Thursday that Brandon Sproat will be starting on Sunday, in what will be his major league debut.
"The plan is for him to go and throw a couple of bullpens before we put him in a game," Mendoza said Friday about the plan for Senga. "So we're looking at potentially a game over next weekend. So for him to work on his mechanics, we got to get him back in sync."
As far as Senga, he has cited issues with his mechanics as one of the reasons for his downturn.
"There’s definitely some frustration," Senga said through an interpreter following his performance on Aug. 31. "I’ve never experienced something like this for this extended period of time. There’s some confusion why I’m not able to perform, but at the same time, when I’m able to prepare well and able to do what I’m capable of out there, I know that I’m able to put up a good performance."
Senga, who signed a five-year deal for $75 million ahead of the 2023 season, is under contract through 2027. His contract contains a conditional club option worth $15 million for 2028 that would kick in if he has Tommy John surgery or a right elbow injury that keeps him on the IL for 130 or more days between now and then.
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