Kodai Senga Injury Update: New York Mets hurler to be shut down a further 7-10 days; will undergo tests afterwards

The New York Mets' star pitcher, Kodai Senga, will be out for an additional 7 to 10 days following a 3-week absence due to a shoulder strain.

During a press conference, David Stearns, the President of Baseball Operations for the New York Mets, informed the media that Senga's absence will now extend for at least another week. After that, the pitcher will undergo several imaging tests to determine the extent of his injury.

The update is certainly discouraging for the rebuilding Mets. After offloading several big names last year, Senga remained one of the few marquee signings that held up their end of the bargain.

The Japanese pitcher finished the 2023 season with a 12-7 record and a 2.98 ERA, was named to the All-Star team, and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year behind Corbin Carroll.

As a contingency measure, the Mets have already named Jose Quintana as their Opening Day starter in place of the injured Senga.

The Mets landed Luis Severino and have also enlisted the services of Sean Manaea to bolster their starting group.

Kodai Senga's injury history

Before crossing over to the MLB, the biggest hurdle and concern about Kodai Senga was his health. During his 11-year stint with the NPB and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, Senga has had his fair share of injury struggles.

In 2013, Senga exited the NPB season in early September after feeling pain in his left flank. He would spend the rest of the year tending to the injury. Senga would only play half of the following season after injuring his right shoulder.

The same injury prevented him from starting the 2015 NPB on time. The ace hurler joined the team in August. He remained healthy and helped Fukuoka clinch the Japan Series that year.

The Aichi, Japan-born star managed to stay healthy during the 2016–2020 seasons. These were the years that the Softbank Hawks won four Japan Series titles in a row.

Senga experienced the injury bug once again in 2021 but managed to avoid it in 2022, his last year in the NPB before being posted in the MLB.