Major League Baseball

Mets pitcher Kodai Senga to miss Opening Day with shoulder strain

Updated Feb. 22, 2024 10:41 a.m. ET

New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga is expected to be sidelined through Opening Day after suffering a moderate right posterior capsule strain.

Senga will be shut down until his symptoms subside and is expected to open the season on the injured list, Mets president of baseball operations David Sterns told reporters on Thursday. His timetable for a return is unclear, but the Mets "expect him to make a bunch of starts for us this year."

"This is not a surgical type of problem," Stearns added. "This is something with rest and treatment, potentially an injection that can move us forward."

Senga experienced some arm fatigue after throwing a side session during spring training recently, causing him to be evaluated by the team's trainers before undergoing an MRI. The team got the results Thursday morning.

New York is looking to Senga to help anchor its rotation after he put together an impressive rookie season. The Mets also signed right-hander Luis Severino and left-hander Sean Manaea in the offseason, and they acquired right-hander Adrian Houser in a December trade with Milwaukee.

The 31-year-old Senga signed a $75 million, five-year contract with New York in December 2022. He went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts last year.

The Mets are hoping to rebound after they finished fourth in the NL East with a 75-87 record in 2023. Stearns took over as president of baseball operations in September and hired Carlos Mendoza as manager in November.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.