{"id":105495,"date":"2025-08-03T01:05:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T05:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=105495"},"modified":"2025-08-03T01:05:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T05:05:07","slug":"breaking-down-kodai-senga-struggling-post-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/08\/03\/breaking-down-kodai-senga-struggling-post-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"The Reasons for Kodai Senga’s Post-Injury Struggles"},"content":{"rendered":"

The proud owner of the ghost fork is suddenly looking human. Kodai Senga<\/a> joins the laundry list of New York Mets players currently struggling as the calendar flips to August. Since returning from injury on July 11, Senga, along with the rest of the Mets’ rotation, has been searching for answers as to why his once-dominant stuff just isn\u2019t landing anymore. Is it the overuse of his top pitch? A confidence issue? It\u2019s hard to tell.<\/p>\n

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Jun 12, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) reacts after sustaining an injury during the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kodai Senga Struggling Since Return from Injury<\/h2>\n

Senga was cruising as the Mets entered June, holding a 1.47 ERA, one of the best marks in the league at the time. To highlight just how strong he was, that ERA ranks as the fifth-best by any Mets pitcher through their first 12 starts of a season. Everything pointed toward a second All-Star appearance, maybe even a place in the Cy Young conversation. But then came June 12.<\/p>\n

It was a typical Senga outing, minimal baserunners, pure dominance. But with two outs in the sixth inning, Senga sprinted over to cover first on a CJ Abrams<\/a> ground ball to Pete Alonso<\/a>. Alonso\u2019s toss sailed high, forcing Senga to jump. Instantly, he crumbled to the ground. That moment triggered what would become a month-long injured list<\/a> stint \u2014 and the start of a very different chapter.<\/p>\n

Coincidentally (or maybe not), after losing Senga, the Mets went on a brutal 8-18 skid before his eventual return against the Kansas City Royals. The first red flag actually came during his rehab outing on July 6, when he went 3 2\/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs with four strikeouts and two walks. At the time, you could chalk it up to rust. Now, looking back, it may have been a warning sign.<\/p>\n

Senga\u2019s Return to MLB<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On July 11, Senga returned to face the Royals \u2014 a game where he tossed four scoreless innings. A solid line on paper\u2026 if you didn\u2019t watch the game. Senga dealt with traffic in all but one inning, constantly working with runners on base and pitching himself into high-leverage spots. He escaped, but not without a high pitch count. That pattern has continued over his last few starts.<\/p>\n

Over his last three outings, Senga hasn’t looked like himself. He\u2019s struggled to finish off batters, fallen behind in counts, and allowed runners to reach in multiple ways. In all three starts, he\u2019s given up at least four hits and four runs, while also walking three or more. Even before this stretch, Senga had trouble pitching deep into games, going beyond six innings in just two starts all season.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe\u2019s having a hard time filling the zone right now,\u201d Mets manager Carlos Mendoza<\/a> said after Senga\u2019s recent outing against the Giants.
\u201cA lot of three-ball counts, walks, hit-by-pitch \u2014 he got behind in counts, and when he came into the zone, they were able to make him pay.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Struggle<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While Senga insists his hamstring is fully healthy, he\u2019s admitted that he might be overcompensating mechanically, which could explain some of the inconsistency. His ERA, which sat at 1.47 before the injury, is now up to 2.31 \u2014 nearly a full run higher. More alarming? His WHIP since returning is a bloated 2.000 \u2014 a number firmly in the \u201cpoor\u201d category.<\/p>\n

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Carlos Mendoza says Kodai Senga is “having a hard time feeling the strike zone”:<\/p>\n

“Noncompetitive pitches, lot of three ball counts, walks, hit by pitch, and then he got behind in counts” pic.twitter.com\/R0yrhjnSxa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SNY (@SNYtv) August 2, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n