Mets ace Kodai Senga leaves start with hamstring strain, clouding New York’s promising 2025 season amid dominant stretch.
The moment was subtle. A stretch, a leap, a reach with the toe—then a stumble. For five and two-thirds innings on Thursday, Kodai Senga had been masterful. One hit. One walk. Dominance against a division rival. And then, suddenly, pain.
It didn’t happen on the mound. It didn’t come from a pitch. It came as Senga, doing his job, covered first base and reached to complete a routine out. In a flash, that reach turned into a grimace, and then a collapse onto the grass beyond the bag. The scoreboard said the Mets were winning. The scoreboard didn’t show the worry.
Kodai Senga left the game with an apparent hamstring injury after landing awkwardly trying to make a play at 1st base pic.twitter.com/2gOjCobdjF
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 12, 2025
Senga, now in his third MLB season after arriving from Japan with equal parts mystique and promise, lay on the ground clutching his hamstring. And Citi Field fell quiet.
More Than a Statline
Senga had been pitching like an ace—because he is one. Before the injury, his ERA stood at 1.59. Seven wins. Just three losses. His delivery deceptive, his splitter devastating. On paper, it was all clicking. On the field, he was everything the Mets hoped for when they brought him from NPB stardom to New York’s biggest stage.
But behind the numbers is a pitcher whose journey hasn’t been smooth. Senga missed a large chunk of the 2024 season due to a shoulder capsule strain and a calf issue. Injuries have tried, repeatedly, to dim his light. And each time, Senga has answered with resolve. With silence. With strikeouts.
Kodai Senga is coming out of the game with the trainer after appearing to injure himself completing a putout at first pic.twitter.com/b1NPkEJAqM
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 12, 2025
Thursday felt like another answer. Until it wasn’t.
What the Mets Lose
The Mets walked away with a win—a 4-3 final against Washington—but it didn’t feel like a victory. Senga had to leave the game, replaced mid-inning, and postgame word confirmed the fears. A hamstring strain. An MRI scheduled for Friday. The uncertainty that follows every muscle pull. How bad? How long?
New York sits atop baseball with a 45-24 record. A balanced roster, a surging lineup, a bullpen that’s held firm. But Senga is the anchor of the rotation, the quiet heartbeat of a pitching staff that’s overperformed expectations. Without him, the margin shrinks. The rotation thins. And the dreams of October gain a new thread of doubt.
Carlos Mendoza spoke after the game with a mix of pride and concern. His team fought. His ace went down. That’s baseball. But it doesn’t mean it hurts less.
Waiting on Friday
The calendar won’t stop for Kodai Senga. Neither will the questions. The MRI on Friday will reveal what the next month—or more—could look like. Best case, a short stint on the injured list, maybe even a return before the All-Star break. Worst case? Another chapter of missed time in what has been an uneven American journey.
The Mets will adjust. They always do. But no amount of pitching depth or lineup strength can replace Senga’s presence when he’s at his best. His strikeouts echo differently. His starts feel calmer. For a team chasing something real this summer, every fifth day matters. And now, they wait.
Because in the season’s long grind, there are injuries. But this one stings more. Because Kodai Senga wasn’t just pitching well—he was pitching like he belonged.
And then, he was gone.
