Mets manager gets blunt about potential Kodai Senga minor league demotion

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza got clear about if Kodai Senga could get sent to the minor leagues.

Jun 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

After New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga's brutal start against the Miami Marlins on August 31 (where he gave up 5 earned runs in just 4.2 innings pitched, marking 10 straight starts that he has failed to pitch six innings), Mets manager Carlos Mendoza made a cryptic comment about Senga's future in his team's rotation.

“We’ve got to get him right, obviously. I’m pretty sure we’re going to have some discussion about what’s next for him. But our job is to get him right. But it’s been a struggle. It has been a struggle. And again, we’ll see what’s next for him," Mendoza said, per an X post from SNY.

"We've got to get him right. I'm pretty sure we're going to have some discussion, what's next for him. Our job is to get him right."

Carlos Mendoza talks about Kodai Senga's struggles: pic.twitter.com/JAOZDpDUvJ

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 31, 2025

This comment made a lot of waves among the Mets' community, given that Senga (who has a solid 3.02 season-long ERA but is 0-3 with a 6.06 ERA in his last seven starts) was supposed to be the Mets' ace this season after an injury-plagued 2024 campaign.

Mendoza seemed to clarify his comments somewhat in a September 1 article from Mike Puma of the New York Post, where he said, “[Senge and Sean Manaea] are part of the rotation. So, our job is trying to find a way to help [them] and that’s what we will do.”

Aug 19, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) looks on from the dugout against the Washington Nationals prior to their game at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Carlos Mendoza Suggests Kodai Senga Could Get Demoted

However, despite what Mendoza said on September 1, it seems that New York is now considering taking a different direction with Senga: sending him to the minor leagues.

Read more: Mets' Juan Soto agrees with his biggest critics

Will Sammon of The Athletic reported in a September 2 article that the Mets are considering several different possibilities for Senga, one of which is demoting him. But the snag in this is that Senga's contract notes that he can't be demoted to the minor leagues without giving consent.

Sammon also noted that Senga said that he'd be willing to do whatever it took to help him return to form and for the Mets to succeed, which suggests he'd agree with getting sent down if it was presented to him.

As Mets mull next move with Kodai Senga, all options are on the table, including potentially asking him to consent to a minor-league stint https://t.co/qGbQOX6P0i

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) September 3, 2025

Mendoza spoke with the media before New York's September 3 game against the Detroit Tigers. When asked about Senga potentially getting sent down, he said, "Everything is on the table, whether he makes the next start. There's a lot going on right now, and we've just got to wait and see after we get through today," per an X post from SNY.

He added that he doesn't know whether Senga would be receptive to this idea, and confirmed that he would indeed have to give his consent to being sent down.

"Everything is on the table, whether he makes the next start...there's a lot going on right now"

Carlos Mendoza on the Mets' plan for Kodai Senga: pic.twitter.com/pE8VUTSneL

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2025

Mets fans will need to keep their eyes peeled for an update on Senga's status over the next couple of days.