Kodai Senga’s latest flop frustrates Mets: ‘Not gonna cut it’
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Mets pitcher Kodai Senga was lit up after cruising through the first inning Tuesday night against the Cubs. Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images
By Tyler KepnerJune 24, 2026 5:00 am EDT UpdatedNEW YORK — The Mets are losing patience with starter Kodai Senga after a mystifying start on Tuesday that quickly devolved from dominant to disastrous.
Senga zipped through the first inning, relying heavily on a lively four-seam fastball to set down the Chicago Cubs in order. But he would last only 3 2/3 innings in a 9-6 loss, allowing seven runs, five walks and two home runs.
“Performing matters here and having outings like these are not gonna cut it,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I’m pretty sure we’re gonna have a decision, but that ain’t gonna do it. We need better. They know that, and we’re to a point where you gotta go out there and earn it. So that’s the bottom line.”
Senga is 0-6 with a 10.08 ERA in seven starts this season, with 22 walks in 27 2/3 innings. This was his second start since coming off the injured list, where he landed in late April with lumbar spine inflammation. He also dealt with ulnar nerve irritation during his absence.
Even so, Senga looked strong early on Tuesday, using his fastball for 12 of 15 pitches in the top of the first and striking out Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch. But he switched to a more varied arsenal in the second, loading the bases with a walk, single and hit batter. The Cubs soon rallied for five runs.
“He goes out there in that first inning, and that’s the guy that you hope he’s capable of doing that,” Mendoza said. “He’s throwing 98, 99, using the four-season fastball and just blowing it by people. And then in the second inning, he gets away from it. We’re in the dugout kind of asking ourselves, ‘What’s going on here? It’s hard to explain.’ It happens so quick. It’s just frustrating.”
Through an interpreter, Senga said that as a starter, “it’s hard to throw only fastballs throughout the whole outing.” He said his struggles were probably half mental and half physical, and seemed to understand that his rotation spot is now tenuous.
“The first inning version of myself, if I can replicate that over and over again, I think I absolutely do belong in the rotation,” Senga said. “But if I struggle to find the strike zone, it becomes a tough conversation. That’s a decision Mendy and the front office will make. I’ll just continue to prepare so when I do go out there the next time, I can perform at the highest level.”
This Week in Mets: The rotation continues to fail them
The Mets have a 5.49 ERA in the first third of games. As Juan Soto said, "“It’s really tough to give up the lead right away."
Christian Scott is out with right hip impingement but could return to the rotation this weekend. Even so, the Mets are also dealing with consistently poor outings by David Peterson, who has a 6.09 ERA in 16 games as a starter or bulk reliever.
Asked before the game about Senga and Peterson, David Stearns, the president of baseball operations, indicated that both were running out of time.
“In terms of our rotation, it’s a turn-by-turn evaluation, and we do need to see production there,” Stearns said. “We need to figure out a way to get ourselves later into games in competitive positions.”
The Mets will use Nolan McLean in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader, with Sean Manaea in the nightcap. The games could also mark the return of shortstop Francisco Lindor, who has missed 54 games since straining his left calf on April 22.
Lindor had two hits for Triple-A Syracuse in his second rehabilitation game on Tuesday in Allentown, Pa.
“He’s got to drive back from Lehigh (Valley), but we’ll see,” Mendoza said. “I mean, I don’t want to get ahead of myself saying that he’s going to be active 100 percent tomorrow, but it’s a possibility.”
Alas, even if Lindor plays, the Mets may not have him and Juan Soto in the same lineup, which has happened only once since April 3. Soto left Tuesday’s game after four innings when his back locked up and did not speak to reporters.
“He got treatment during the game, but he got to a point there, you could tell something was off,” Mendoza said. “He was making some faces there, and obviously, I checked with him. And he got to a point where it was bothering him to throw and just get his ‘A’ swing on it. So at that point, I thought it would be best to get him out of the game, have the trainers look at him. As of right now, he’s day-to-day.”
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
