The extent of Kodai Senga’s right hamstring injury was still uncertain for Mets officials on Friday afternoon, but the team was already taking steps to adjust their starting lineup.
Paul Blackburn, acting as the team’s sixth starter, is set to pitch in Atlanta on Wednesday, moving up from the bullpen.
This marks the first missed start for any of the original five starters in the Mets’ rotation.
Senga strained his hamstring during Thursday’s game and found himself on the injured list the very next day.
An MRI was scheduled for Senga ahead of the Mets’ series opener against the Rays at Citifield.
Blackburn, who pitched last Sunday in Colorado and managed a four-inning save, is available for the opener of this series.
Manager Mendoza mentioned that if Blackburn didn’t pitch on Friday, he could serve as a reliever on Saturday. However, that’s contingent on his upcoming start.
Blackburn expressed disappointment about Senga’s injury, acknowledging the right-hander’s impressive season with a 1.47 ERA over 13 starts. Still, he sees this as a chance to rejoin the rotation.
“It feels like I’m back in my comfort zone,” Blackburn told the Post. “This has been my routine throughout my career.”
After returning from the injured list, Blackburn faced the Dodgers on June 2 and pitched five scoreless innings as part of a six-man rotation.
After that outing, he was transitioned to the bullpen.
“Injuries happen to all teams, but we believe we’re equipped to manage this,” stated manager Carlos Mendoza. Blackburn is now on the active roster, and there are other players close to rejoining the team.
Frankie Montas is also in the mix, having pitched 1 2/3 innings in a minor league rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. He’ll need more time in the minors before a decision is made on activating him, according to baseball president David Stearns.
Montas, recovering from significant rat tension, hasn’t performed well in his three starts at Syracuse.
“He’s working hard to come back. The injury was serious, but he’s been making progress,” Stearns commented. “We’re moving in the right direction, just trying to get him back into a rhythm.”
Sean Mania is still further behind in his recovery process. He recently made a rehab appearance after dealing with oblique tension.
Stearns played down concerns about too many starting pitcher options on the roster.
With Tyler Megill also performing well, alongside Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Griffin Canning, decisions might get tough later on.
“It’s rare to have too many starting pitchers to choose from,” Stearns said. “If we reach that stage this season, it’ll be challenging to make those decisions, but for now, I’m excited about how our current rotation is performing and looking forward to having everyone healthy again.”
