NEW YORK -- Mets right-hander Kodai Senga, sidelined with a back injury, said Wednesday he does not have a timetable to return to the mound.
Senga was added to the Mets' growing injured list Tuesday with lumbar spine inflammation after allowing three runs over 2â…” innings against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. could soon join him on IL. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Robert, who has not played in New York's last two games due to lower back tightness, was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday after his discomfort had not subsided.
"We gotta wait and see what the MRI says [to figure out] what's the plan of attack," Mendoza said. "[Whether] we need to put him on the IL or he continues to be day to day. That's why we're taking a look at it."
The Mets acquired Robert, a talent brimming with potential, from the Chicago White Sox knowing injuries were a concern. Various lower-body ailments spoiled Robert's last two seasons in Chicago after a career year in 2023, when he clubbed 38 home runs with 20 steals and an .857 OPS in 145 games. He combined to bat .223 with 28 home runs and a .660 OPS in 210 games over the last two years.
As such, New York brought Robert, 28, on slowly in spring training. He jumped out to a scorching start early this season, including delivering a walk-off home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of the season. But he cooled off considerably over the last three weeks and is now slashing .224/.327/.329 in 98 plate appearances.
Senga's season followed a similar trajectory. The right-hander thrived in his first two outings, allowing four runs over 11 â…” innings. The next three outings were disastrous: 16 runs (15 earned) in 8â…“ innings, good for a 17.28 ERA. He pitched into the fourth inning once.
On Sunday, he was pulled with two outs in the third inning. He said afterward he reported to the Mets athletic training staff that the back discomfort, which he had managed since spring training, had become untenable. He underwent an MRI and received an epidural Monday.
"It started to become difficult to stand on one leg," Senga, 33, said through an interpreter. "There were days that I could feel it, but I was able to perform well with it. There were days that it did affect performance.
"There were some moments that I felt great throughout that period. That's what made it difficult for me to raise my hand and say, 'Hey, this is really affecting my pitching' because there were some flashes of promising results."
Senga, 33, signed with the Mets before the 2023 season after starring in Japan. He was one of the best pitchers in the majors as a 30-year-old rookie, with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts. But injuries and resulting issues with mechanics have soiled his last three seasons.
He was limited to one outing in 2024 after beginning the season with a shoulder injury and straining his left calf in his season debut in late July. Last season, after a dominant start to the year, he strained his right hamstring covering first base in June. He went to the injured list with a 1.47 ERA. He returned to record a 5.90 RA in nine starts before he accepted an assignment to Triple A. He didn't return to the majors as the Mets collapsed down the stretch to miss the postseason.
"I'm a baseball player," Senga said. "My job is to be out on the field and play for the team. And not being able to do that is frustrating."
