Mets’ Senga Puts Up 6.18 ERA Since Coming Back From Injury as NL East Race Heats Up

Since his July comeback from a hamstring setback, Mets pitcher Kodai Senga has struggled. His stats tell the story: 11 runs given up while pitching 16 innings, adding up to a steep 6.18 ERA across four starts.

His latest showing against San Francisco fell short. Through just four innings, he threw 71 pitches, giving up four runs. "Having a hard time feeling the strike zone," said manager Carlos Mendoza, according to Sports Illustrated. "Noncompetitive pitches, lot of three-ball counts, walks, hit by pitch, and then he got behind in counts."

What a difference from his pre-injury stats. Before hurting his hamstring on June 12, Senga shined with a tiny 1.47 ERA. He struck out 70 batters in 73.2 innings. Now his slump hits just as Philadelphia takes the NL East lead, with the Mets dropping four straight games.

"The biggest thing was the uncompetitive pitches," Senga admitted through interpreter Hiro Fujiwara per NJ.com. "Perhaps I'm thinking about things too much. But as we get deeper into the season, every game is going to matter more and more."

Five innings marks his longest outing since coming back. The numbers paint a clear picture of his control issues: batters have tagged him for 17 hits while he's walked 13, resulting in a bloated 1.875 WHIP.

While health concerns might seem obvious, both Senga and the team say that's not the case. "Mechanically, I may be overcompensating in certain areas, just not all the way back yet maybe," Senga said, according to The New York Post.

His timing couldn't be worse. The Mets passed on adding pitching help at the trade deadline. In the rotation, only David Peterson has shown staying power, pitching deep into games during this rough patch.

Still, Senga's season stats shine: his ERA sits at 2.00. But with the division title up for grabs and two months left to play, the Mets need their star pitcher to find his old magic fast.