Injuries & Moves: Mets eye Friday for Senga's return

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July 21: RHP Kodai Senga goes three-plus innings in final rehab start at Triple-A Syracuse
In what the Mets plan to be Senga’s final rehab appearance before he makes his long-awaited season debut, the right-hander allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks over three-plus innings against Triple-A Rochester, the Nationals’ affiliate, on Saturday.

"Everything's good so far," manager Carlos Mendoza said on Sunday. "Obviously, he had a grind, they made him work, but at the end of the day, it's how he's feeling and we gotta wait to see how today goes, how tomorrow is."

Senga is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, and if all goes as planned, he will face the Braves on Friday.

"If he's good, there's a good chance he'll pitch Friday," Mendoza said.

The Mets are likely to continue with a six-man rotation, per Mendoza, once Senga returns. It’s been a long road for Senga, who has dealt with setbacks as he has worked his way back from a right posterior shoulder capsule strain that he suffered in February.

July 21: RHP TJ Shook acquired from Milwaukee for LHP Tyler Jay
The Minor League deal came four days after the Mets designated Jay for assignment to open space on the 40-man roster. Shook, who posted a 4.90 ERA over 17 appearances (11 starts) and 64 1/3 innings for Double-A Biloxi this season, was assigned to Double-A Binghamton. Shook was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Brewers in July 2020. He debuted in the Minors in 2021 and has posted a 4.77 ERA over 80 appearances (57 starts) across his four years in Milwaukee’s system.

Jay made three appearances out of the bullpen for the Mets this season and had a 7.71 ERA before he was DFA’d, though he posted a 2.40 ERA over 23 appearances (one start) at Triple-A Syracuse.

July 19: OF Starling Marte begins baseball activities
Marte, who has been dealing with a “deep bone bruise” since late June, played catch and hit off a tee on Friday in Miami. The Mets are still taking it slowly with Marte.

“Low-impact, pain-tolerated [activities],” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’ll continue to progress, but yeah, he’s slowly starting to do more baseball stuff.”

While Marte remains sidelined, the Mets will continue to turn to Jose Iglesias and Jeff McNeil in the lineup -- particularly against right-handed pitchers.

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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: Late July
Reid-Foley, who missed the start of this season due to a right shoulder impingement, returned to the IL on June 22 with a similar injury. The move came three days after Reid-Foley's average fastball velocity dipped about 3 mph in an outing against the Rangers.

Reid-Foley received a cortisone injection on June 24 and restarted a throwing program in early July, about a week behind schedule. He threw a bullpen session on July 13, and threw two more bullpen sessions over the All-Star break. He’s scheduled to face hitters in live batting practice on July 22, per manager Carlos Mendoza. Reid-Foley will go on a rehab assignment once the Mets deem him ready. (Last updated: July 19)

OF Starling Marte (bone bruise in right knee)
Expected return: Late July or August
After resting his knee over the All-Star break, Marte began baseball activities -- playing catch and hitting off a tee -- on July 19 in Miami.

“Low-impact, pain-tolerated [activities],” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’ll continue to progress, but yeah, he’s slowly starting to do more baseball stuff.”

According to Mendoza, Marte had an MRI exam on his knee on July 10 and the results showed improvement, but he was still not 100 percent.

Marte, who exited the Mets' June 22 game against the Cubs due to right knee soreness, will miss at least four weeks due to what Mendoza described as a "deep bone bruise."

How long his rehab process takes will determine Marte's ultimate return date. Mendoza said on July 14, as the Mets entered the All-Star break, that Marte's recovery is still "slow" and the Mets aren't sure when he'll be back. The team wants to make sure Marte is pain-free before ramping him up, but there is no baseball activity scheduled yet. (Last updated: July 19)

RHP Reed Garrett (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: Early August
An MRI taken July 10 on Garrett's right arm revealed that he doesn't have any structural damage, just inflammation in his elbow. Garrett could be on the injured list for 2-4 weeks, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. He said he plans to take things easy during the All-Star break with hopes of beginning to ramp up after that.

Garrett, who began complaining of right forearm tightness following a July 9 outing against the Nationals, had enough trouble gripping the baseball during that appearance that he feared a "worst-case scenario" injury, which he was ultimately glad to avoid. A standout performer in April, the right-handed Garrett has produced a 7.94 ERA since May 22. He led Mets relievers with 42 innings at the time of his injury. (Last updated: July 12)

OF Drew Gilbert (right hamstring strain; No. 3 on Mets' Top 30 Prospects list)
Expected return: Late July
Gilbert, the top prospect the Mets acquired from the Astros in the Justin Verlander trade last summer, returned to action on July 11 for the FCL Mets and went 0-for-2 with a walk during a 10-2 loss to the FCL Nationals. It was Gilbert’s first game since April 6, when he strained his right hamstring in the second game of a doubleheader for Triple-A Syracuse. (Last updated: July 11)

INF/OF Jett Williams (right wrist soreness; No. 1 on Mets' Top 30 Prospects list)
Expected return: August
Toward the end of April, Williams began dealing with a bout of right wrist soreness that has kept him off the field beginning April 21. To treat it, Williams received a cortisone injection in early May, but his soreness persisted enough for doctors to administer a second shot later in the month, which also didn't bring Williams back to full health.

As a result, Williams underwent surgery on June 6. He is expected to miss 8-10 weeks. (Last updated: June 7)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Kodai Senga (right posterior shoulder capsule strain)
Expected return: As soon as July 26
Senga allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks over three-plus innings and 79 pitches in his latest rehab start on July 20. Manager Carlos Mendoza wanted to see Senga get a little deeper into a game -- setting a goal of approximately 85 pitches -- before he joins the club for his first Major League start of the year. Senga will throw a bullpen session at Yankee Stadium on July 23, and if all goes as planned, he will slot into the rotation vs. the Braves on July 26.

Senga began a Minor League rehab assignment on July 3 at High-A Brooklyn and followed it up with another start on July 9 at Triple-A Syracuse, reaching the upper 90s with his fastball in each start. He fanned three over 4 2/3 innings in his third rehab start on July 14 at Triple-A, allowing one run on two hits.

Diagnosed with a capsule strain in February, Senga advanced to mound work in late April but subsequently began experiencing triceps tightness and nerve inflammation in that area. He has slowly been building back up since then. (Last updated: July 21)

RHP Drew Smith (right elbow sprain)
Expected return: 2025
Smith underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career on July 12, after doctors found significant ligament damage in his right elbow. The operation, which involved both a ligament reconstruction and the addition of a stabilizing internal brace, ended Smith's season.

The right-hander can be a free agent in November and could miss all of next season, depending on how quickly he progresses in his rehab. A typical timeline for Tommy John recoveries is 12-18 months. (Last updated: July 13)

LHP Brooks Raley (left UCL strain)
Expected return: 2025
Raley, a heavily used reliever who was having trouble recovering between outings in mid-April, had Tommy John surgery on May 29. The procedure, which Dr. Keith Meister performed in Arlington, ended his season and possibly his Mets tenure.

Because of a clause in Raley's contract, he is eligible to become a free agent in November despite having fewer than six years of service time. As such, he may have already thrown his final pitch with the Mets. (Last updated: June 30)

RHP Shintaro Fujinami (right shoulder strain)
Expected return: July
Fujinami began a Minor League rehab assignment on June 25, setting him up to return at some point in July. But to return to the Majors, Fujinami must prove not only that he's healthy, but that he can be an effective reliever. In seven outings prior to landing on the injured list, Fujinami allowed 12 runs with 13 walks over six innings. He still has an accessible Minor League option. (Last updated: June 30)

INF Ronny Mauricio (recovery from right knee surgery)
Expected return: Possibly September
Mauricio underwent surgery in early January to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, which he injured during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. A typical return timetable for that operation is eight to 12 months, giving Mauricio an outside chance to rejoin the Mets in September. If not, he'll return in 2025.

As of a late-May update, Mauricio had begun running and hitting. According to vice president of player development Andy Green, "everything is progressing as it should." But the Mets won't have a great read on his ability to play this year until much later in the summer. (Last updated: May 31)

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