Mets’ Kodai Senga shares his blueprint to stay healthy heading into 2025

The New York Mets need their top of the rotation ace to be healthy if they want to keep pace with the top tier rotations of the National League East.

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) reacts against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in game one of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

New York Mets starter Kodai Senga doesn't expect a repeat of his injury-plagued 2024 season.

Starting on the injured list due to a shoulder issue and leaving his only regular-season start due to a calf strain, Senga followed up his breakout 2023 season with just 10.1 innings last year. He managed to return for the postseason, but was knocked around by the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers; in Senga's two starts and three total appearances, the two National League powerhouses put up seven runs on six hits and seven walks off of the Japanese star, while striking out only four times.

Speaking to reporters through an interpreter from Port St. Lucie's Clover Park on Tuesday, Senga said he has a plan to get to the season healthy and to remain that way through all 162 games.

"I'm not worried at all. I just need to ramp up slowly and get through spring training healthy and get through the year healthy," said Senga, perhaps learning from last year's setbacks during his multiple attempts to return off the injured list. "I'm very happy as long as I am healthy and able to help out this team."

Unlike last season, where Senga reported arm fatigue shortly after reporting for camp, the pitcher says he feels "really good" as he heads into camp and has felt at normal strength since January.

Kodai Senga was asked if he has any concerns with his arm or shoulder health:

"I'm not worried at all. I just need to ramp up slowly and get through spring training healthy and get through the year healthy." pic.twitter.com/fU6tgM43Zh

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 11, 2025

After experiencing a right shoulder capsule strain in spring training and beginning the year on the injured list, Senga's rehab was slow and full of delays. He slowed his rehab progression in late April to work on his mechanics and later cancelled a bullpen session in late May after feeling tightness in his triceps while playing catch. A subsequent MRI diagnosed nerve inflammation and the pitcher was shut down for a week to allow a cortisone shot to take effect.

Senga eventually began rehab assignments in early July, making four minor league appearances before his 2024 debut on July 26th versus the Atlanta Braves. He pitched 5.1 innings, striking out nine batters and allowing just two runs on two hits to earn the win, but would be sidelined for two months after suffering a high-grade calf strain that evening. The righty eventually dealt with more triceps tightness during his ensuing recovery, which resulted in him being pulled from a rehab start in late September.

Senga's next game action came in the postseason, where he was clearly not the same caliber of pitcher that finished 2023 as an All-Star, the runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year, and 7th-place for NL Cy Young voting.

But Senga's convinced that taking it slow throughout this year's Grapefruit League schedule will allow him to stay healthy for all of 2025. Senga stated that his goal is to make 30 starts this year; the Mets are going to need all of those if they plan to hold serve with the rotations of the Braves and Phillies without adding a frontline starter via trade.