The New York Mets are demoting Kodai Senga to the bullpen after he surrendered seven runs in the team’s 9-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza made the announcement before the Cubs and Mets doubleheader on Wednesday, via SNY.
“He’s going to the bullpen,” Mendoza said. “We talked to him this morning. He’s going to be pitching out of the bullpen.”
Mendoza did not give Senga a specific role in the bullpen. The manager said he could be used in a multi-inning role or even in high-leverage situations.
It remains to be seen if this will be a permanent move for Senga. Given his potential and ceiling, one has to imagine the Mets would be open to moving him back to the starting rotation at some point.
It is worth mentioning that Senga has dealt with injury concerns this season. Perhaps that has played a role in his underperformance on the mound.
Senga has pitched to a 10.08 ERA across seven starts during the ’26 campaign. The 33-year-old has found success in previous seasons, but his performance this year has been forgettable up to this point. He is capable of turning things around, though.
In other Mets news, Francisco Lindor is expected to return from the injured list on Wednesday. However, there is a chance that Juan Soto may end up on the IL after suffering an injury on Wednesday. An official Soto IL decision has not been made yet, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN.
The Mets and Cubs games for the doubleheader are scheduled for 1:10 PM EST and 7:10 PM EST on Wednesday.
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