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The New York Mets have sent a struggling veteran to Triple-A to try to get on track. The Mets optioned right-hander Kodai Senga to the minors on Friday, the team announced. Senga has a 6.56 ERA in his last eight starts and the team was noncommittal about keeping him the rotation after he surrendered five runs in 4 ⅔ innings against the Miami Marlins last weekend.

"We've got to get him right. I'm pretty sure we're going to have some discussion, what's next for him. Our job is to get him right," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after Senga's most recent start. "It's been a struggle. It's been a struggle, and again, we'll see what's next for him."

Senga, 32, is in the third year of a five-year, $75 million contract. Prior to joining the Mets, he pitched 11 seasons for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan. As part of the contract, Senga can only be sent to the minors with his consent, so he had to sign off on this trip to Triple-A. That is a clause commonly given to veteran players who come over from foreign leagues.

Pitchers sent down must spent 15 days in the minors before they can be recalled unless they are replacing an injured player. The earliest the Mets can recall Senga without another pitcher getting hurt is Saturday, Sept. 20. That is the second-to-last weekend of the regular season. The 15 days will be enough time for Senga to make three Triple-A starts as he tries to get on track. 

The demotion does not have any impact on Senga's postseason availability. Players must be in the organization by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 to be postseason-eligible, and Senga was on the MLB roster all season prior to Friday. He is eligible to pitch in October even with this move to Triple-A, though whether he is worth carrying on the postseason roster is another matter.

"I'm working my tail off to get back to (being effective)," Senga told reporters, including MLB.com, through an interpreter last weekend. "And it's as simple as, if I'm able to do it, we're in the postseason and I'm pitching out there. And if I'm not able to, then there's no spot for me to pitch."

Despite his experience in his Japan, Senga was rookie-eligible in 2023, and he finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting after throwing 166 ⅓ innings with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts. Injuries limited Senga to 10 ⅓ innings last season, postseason included. This year he has a 3.02 ERA in 113 ⅓ innings, though obviously things have not gone well lately.

New York's rotation depth chart looks like this at the moment:

  1. LHP David Peterson
  2. RHP Kodai Senga (optioned to Triple-A)
  3. RHP Clay Holmes
  4. LHP Sean Manaea
  5. RHP Frankie Montas (will miss rest of 2025 with elbow injury)
  6. RHP Griffin Canning (will miss rest of 2025 with Achilles injury)
  7. RHP Tylor Megill (out with elbow sprain)
  8. RHP Nolan McLean
  9. RHP Jonah Tong
  10. RHP Brandon Sproat (will make MLB debut Sunday)

Megill allowed three runs in four innings in his fifth and most recent minor-league rehab start on Tuesday. It's unclear if he will make another rehab start or rejoin the Mets next. Megill's 30-day rehab window expires next Thursday (Sept. 11). He can return before that, though that is the latest the Mets can activate Megill off the injured list.

Mets starters rank 23rd in ERA and 18th in WAR since July 1. They did not add a starter at the trade deadline and instead turned to their top prospects. McLean has been terrific, pitching to a 1.37 ERA in four starts since being called up last month. Tong allowed one earned run in five innings in his debut last week. Sproat will make his debut this weekend.

The Mets enter play Friday with a 75-65 record. They are in the third wild card spot and five games up on the Cincinnati Reds, who they will visit for three games this weekend.