The Mets will be without their ace on Opening Day, as David Stearns revealed on Thursday that Kodai Senga is expected to start the season on the IL with a "moderate" strain in the back of his right shoulder.
Stearns added that the righty will be shut down until his symptoms "subside," and while there is no clear timetable for a return, Stearns expects Senga to make "a lot" of starts in 2024.
Still, the injury to the reigning Rookie of the Year finalist leaves a gaping hole in a Mets rotation loaded with question marks, but it doesn't sound like New York will react by adding a proven pitcher in the free agent market.
"I don't think so," Stearns said when asked if the Senga injury would increase the team's chances of adding a starting pitcher. "We're always gonna be opportunistic and hear what's out there, but I really don't think it changes our thought process."
Two top-tier arms are still available on the open market in Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, but Stearns seems set on plugging the Senga hole internally, which the Mets did last season when Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were dealing with injuries, as the likes of Tylor Megill and David Peterson saw time in the rotation.
"It means we're gonna ask people to step up," Stearns said. "That's what happens over the course of a baseball season. We knew we were not gonna go through a full season with just five or six starters, so here we are…I'm looking forward to watching that competition in camp. I'm confident we will have guys step up."
