Mets ace Kodai Senga threw a bullpen session at Citi Field on Wednesday, marking another positive step on his road to recovery from a right shoulder capsule strain that has sidelined him all season.

Speaking with reporters following his throwing session, Senga confirmed that it was his second bullpen session, though he’s also played catch off the mound, and that he threw around 30 pitches.

“Everything is going well,” Senga said via an interpreter.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza echoed those words, saying he believed Senga likely has two more bullpen sessions to get through before potentially moving on to live hitters.

“He looks good, used all of his pitches,” Mendoza said. “A good sign that he was smiling after he got done throwing… we’ll continue to progress accordingly.”

“He’s probably got two more before he starts facing hitters,” Mendoza added. “So, if everything continues to progress well, I will anticipate probably another couple of bullpens before he faces hitters.”

The manager had previously said that it’s “fair to say” that Senga won’t pitch until after the All-Star break, which runs from July 15-18.

Senga was asked on Wednesday if he was confident that he would pitch in the majors this season, to which he responded with a concise “Yes.”

The 31-year-old is coming off of a terrific debut season with the Mets, earning an All-Star nod as he pitched to a 2.98 ERA and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

The righty, of course, wants to get back on the mound to help the Mets as soon as he can, but he understands that there are more checkpoints that he must hit before he can be back on the field with his teammates.

“Obviously, I want to get out there as soon as possible, but there’s all protocol and the rehab progression,” Senga said. “All I can focus on is getting better and getting out there as soon as possible to throw as many innings as possible.”

Popular in the Community