Mets place Kodai Senga on bullpen path after start unravels at Citi Field

The Mets moved Kodai Senga toward the bullpen for the first time in his current Mets run after yet another troubling outing at Citi Field, where a promising first inning gave way to a seven-run collapse against the Cubs. The change reflects how difficult it has been to stabilize Senga as he works back to full strength after returning from injury, and it indicates that the organization is recalibrating around what they can reasonably get from him right now.

According to MLB’s report, Senga’s start on Tuesday included a strong opening sequence that quickly drew attention, but the performance unraveled as the Cubs took control. The game turned sharply from there, with the right-hander’s time on the mound ending in a lopsided stretch that left the Mets scrambling. In the aftermath, manager Carlos Mendoza said the club would need to make a decision about Senga’s future, a remark that frames the bullpen move as both a tactical adjustment and a longer-term question about his role.

Senga’s move to the bullpen is not simply a matter of convenience. In a postseason-contending framework, the distinction between a starting plan and a bullpen plan is a roster-building decision. Starters are expected to stabilize innings earlier in games, while relievers absorb late-inning leverage. When a pitcher is placed into the bullpen, it often means the team is prioritizing short stints, matchups, and a workload cap, particularly when health and command are not yet consistently there.

For the Mets, that workload and role definition carries extra weight because it intersects with their immediate needs, not just the long arc of the season. The report places emphasis on the timing of the move, noting that it comes after another start “crumbled” into the kind of inning swing that can erase otherwise useful stretches. The bullpen path can offer a way to keep a returning pitcher involved without forcing him to replicate the endurance and pitch-sequence demands of a traditional start.

Citi Field has been the stage for repeated questions about execution during Senga’s comeback arc. The Tuesday night version was defined by contrast: the first inning looked like an answer, while what came after became the problem. Mendoza’s comments, as carried by MLB, made it clear the Mets are not treating this as a one-off rough patch that simply fades with time, but as a moment that requires a concrete plan for what happens next, whether that plan remains in the bullpen or evolves further.

What to watch now is how the Mets use Senga when he pitches from the bullpen, especially in terms of how many innings he’s asked to cover, when he’s deployed, and whether his ability to keep key hitters off-balance improves in shorter stints. The club’s willingness to make a “decision” about his future also raises the stakes of every subsequent appearance, because the answer will likely determine how the Mets shape their pitching staff around reliable roles in the middle and late parts of games.

For Senga, the bullpen move is a chance to rebuild rhythm without the same strain of facing an opponent multiple times in a start, but it also places him in a higher-pressure context where one bad sequence can still swing games quickly. The Mets’ next steps will hinge on whether the adjustments lead to more consistent results than the start he just endured, and whether the organization believes his postseason value is best realized from the bullpen or through a return to starting.