Mets' Kodai Senga will not return during the regular season

Kodai Senga will not return to the Mets during the regular season after his abbreviated rehab start on Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse.

According to manager Carlos Mendoza, the right-hander threw only 15 pitches in that game due to triceps tightness, ruling out any possibility of him returning to the Mets in a limited capacity this week.

The Mets hoped Senga could pitch as either an opener or reliever in the final series of the regular season in Milwaukee.

Senga will continue to pitch, but it's unclear what timetable is in place for his return and whether the Mets would consider him as an October option at some point (assuming the team makes the postseason).

“Hopefully we make those decisions, right?” Mendoza said before the Mets faced the Phillies on Sunday night. “But I think it's safe to say he's not going to be a player for us in the regular season… we're not going to use him in a major league game until he meets all the steps.”

The most likely plan for Senga, had he returned this week, would have been to use him as a starter pitching for an inning or two before moving another starting pitcher behind him.

Senga spent the last two months rehabbing a strained left calf sustained in his season debut on July 26.

Senga was diagnosed with a shoulder strain early in spring training, which put him on the injured list early in the season.

During his preparation, the right-hander also suffered from triceps tightness, which delayed his schedule – he did not begin pitching in minor league rehab games until late June.

“It's been a rough year for him and you feel bad for him,” Mendoza said. “Every time he pushes and tries to take the baseball, he's struggling with something. Hopefully it's nothing serious, but it will set him back a little in the competition.”

Senga finished second in voting for NL Rookie of the Year last year after posting a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 166 ¹/₃ innings.

At the beginning of the season, the Mets considered Senga their star.

He is not even halfway through his five-year, $75 million contract, which he signed before the 2023 season.