Kodai Senga made an abbreviated rehab appearance at Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday but will not return to the Mets during the regular season.
The right-hander threw just 15 pitches in the game because of a triceps strain, manager Carlos Mendoza said, and he won't be eligible for a limited return to the Mets this week.
The Mets expected Senga to pitch as a starter or reliever in Milwaukee in the final series of the regular season.
Senga will continue pitching, but it's unclear what his timeline for his return will be or if the Mets will option Senga at some point in October (if the team advances to the postseason).
“Hopefully, we've made that decision,” Mendoza said before the Mets played the Phillies on Sunday night, “but I think it's fair to say he's not going to be on our roster during the regular season…We're not going to have him play in a major league game until he clears all the boxes.”
Had he returned this week, the most likely plan for Senga would have been to have him pitch an inning or two as a starter before having another starter take over.
Senga has spent the past two months rehabilitating from a left calf injury he sustained in his season debut on July 26.
Senga was diagnosed with a shoulder injury early in spring training and was placed on the disabled list to start the season.
The right-hander also struggled with a triceps strain during his preparation, slowing his timeline and not starting to pitch in minor league rehab games until late June.
“It's been a tough year for him, I feel for him,” Mendoza said. “Every time he tries to get the ball he's having some issues. Hopefully it's nothing serious, but it's going to set him back a little bit as far as playing time.”
Senga finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting last year after posting a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 166 1/3 innings.
The Mets viewed Senga as their ace when the season began.
He's not even halfway through the five-year, $75 million contract he signed before the 2023 season.
