Worry mounts for Mets as ace Kodai Senga exits game with apparent hamstring injury against Nationals

Caution turned a concerned eye to the way of the New York Mets on Thursday afternoon when ace right-hander Kodai Senga exited his brilliant start against the Washington Nationals with an apparent hamstring injury.

Senga had allowed a MLB-best 1.47 earned-run average before leaving, but the incident immediately following the sixth inning of a game that would lead to a 4-3 Mets win. This sweep will forever cast a pall on the otherwise strong outing.Senga will be placed on the injured list, and an MRI is scheduled for Friday to evaluate the strain, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed following the game.

The play that caused concern for Kodai Senga

The whole incident took place during the sixth inning of the game.

CJ Abrams hit a grounder between first and second, which went off the glove of Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. Senga got up and tagged the bag after receiving Alonso's high throw.

Senga seemed to stumble when he landed during the pitch, and he quickly grabbed the back of his right leg somewhere in the vicinity of the hamstring, then he fell to the ground. He was quickly surrounded by trainers, manager Carlos Mendoza, and teammates.

As Senga finally exited the field on his power, limping significantly and sending a deep sigh of relief, but extreme concern through the Mets dugout and within Citi Field, some 20 minutes later.

Senga's early exit ended a fantastic outing where he had allowed just one hit and one walk through 5 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five.

Impact on the New York Mets' rotation and season

If Senga were to miss the latter half of the season, it would deal a serious blow to a Mets rotation that has been one of the best in baseball this year.

Senga had been throwing like an actual Cy Young candidate, striking out hitters with his devastating "ghost fork" and elite command, all throughout the 13 starts.Also Read: Mets' David Peterson tosses first career shutout in 5-0 win over NationalsSenga is one of the most consistent players of the team, which also turns out to be the cornerstone, along with power, of the Mets' MLB-best 45-24 record. This injury also raises red flags regarding Senga's health and fitness, as he was sidelined for nearly his entire 2024 regular season after suffering a shoulder capsule strain and a high-grade calf strain.