New York Mets ace Kodai Senga has been cleared to throw by doctors — a major step in the right direction for the second-year right-hander as he works his way back from a shoulder strain.
The 31-year-old is expected to begin throwing within the next week after passing final “internal testing,” as manager Carlos Mendoza described.
“Inflammation is gone so he’s pretty much cleared from the doctors,” Mendoza said Thursday (h/t SNY). “And now it’s up to our internal testing, making sure he passes all the power tests, the shoulder strength, and things like that before he starts a throwing program, which should happen within the next week.”
It tracks with what the Mets said on March 15 as they hoped Senga would begin a throwing program within the next week to 10 days. By that timeline, which includes a six-week ramp-up to full speed, he could be back atop New York’s rotation in May.
Following the trades of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander last season, Senga rose to the occasion to become the Mets’ undisputed ace down the stretch and for 2024. He finished in the top 10 of the NL Cy Young voting and was a Rookie of the Year finalist when he went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts.
During his absence, the Mets have decided to go with Tylor Megill as the fifth member of the rotation. He went 1-2 with a 3.45 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15.1 innings this spring, showing off his new “American Spork,” a pitch he developed with Senga based on the Japanese star’s trademark “Ghost Fork.”
