Senga’s return can’t stop Mets from slipping again as starter trouble lingers

The Mets entered Tuesday looking for a rebound after Monday’s demoralizing blowout loss, and Kodai Senga’s return from the injured list was the headline reason they could reasonably hope for steadier innings. Instead, the night swung early. Senga’s first frame went poorly, and despite an otherwise workable performance, the Mets were unable to close the gap and recover from the early damage they had already allowed.

According to the report, Senga came into the start coming off what had been his best rehab appearance yet. In that rehab outing, he allowed one run and struck out five batters over six innings, a development that had given the Mets something they have been short on lately: signs of form from a rotation that has felt both inconsistent and depleted. Even with that context, baseball has little tolerance for big innings, and once the first inning spiraled, the rest of the game became an uphill climb.

The Mets’ problem is not new. Over the past few weeks, their rotation has repeatedly been forced to absorb setbacks, whether from delayed recoveries, uneven execution, or the simple challenge of sustaining quality starts across a lineup that needs reliable pitching to stay in games. Tuesday’s outcome, the account said, reflected that broader pattern. With Senga back, the staff could not afford the kind of early hole that turns a recovery effort into a catch-up exercise.

Senga’s return still mattered, even in a game the Mets could not turn around. When a pitcher is working his way back, one of the best indicates is how he handles live-ball stress, particularly in the first time through an order. The rehab start suggested he was nearing full effectiveness, and the report’s framing implied the Mets were hoping for “half of a return to form.” That kind of incremental improvement would have been especially valuable for a team trying to stabilize the middle innings and protect its bullpen usage.

But Tuesday’s first inning complicated everything. Once a starter falls behind that quickly, the game plan changes for the entire staff. The Mets are left managing pitch counts and leverage situations earlier than intended, which can amplify fatigue and force tougher matchups later. In that sense, the starter’s early trouble did not just decide the inning, it shaped the remainder of the contest by pulling the bullpen plan forward and shrinking the margin for error.

For the Mets, the immediate takeaway is that a single return does not immediately repair a rotation that has been stretched. Senga’s rehab performance was encouraging, yet Tuesday showed how quickly a comeback start can be undone by one costly inning. The longer-term question is whether the early damage was an outlier that can be corrected quickly, or whether it is a reminder that the transition from rehab to full competition is still in progress.

What to watch next is how Senga follows up, and whether the Mets can pair his progress with more consistent production from the rest of the rotation. If Senga’s next outings show that the first-inning issues were temporary, the Mets will be able to better preserve bullpen arms and keep games within reach. If not, the organization will face the recurring reality that rotation inconsistency forces every other unit to compensate, and that is rarely sustainable over a long stretch.