New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga will land on the injured list after exiting Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals with a strained right hamstring. Mets general manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed Senga will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of the injury, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. 

In the top of the sixth inning, Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams hit a ground ball to first base, which Mets first baseman Pete Alonso fielded wide of first base. What should have been a routine out ended up awkward as Alonso's toss to Senga, who was covering the bag, was high, forcing Senga to make a leaping grab and plant his back foot on the base. 

Senga went down clutching his hamstring, but he walked off on his own when he was pulled from the game by the training staff.

While the 4-3 win over their NL East division rivals was the Mets' sixth straight win, it was hard for the locker room to feel positive with Senga having to leave the rotation.

Alonso expressed regret for the inaccurate throw that forced Senga to leap for the ball; however, according to DiComo, Senga told the Mets slugger after the game that he was experiencing discomfort in his hamstring before his bad landing on first base. It didn't seem to comfort Alonso much as he told reporters, "It just sucks. It sucks to be involved in that."

Pete Alonso said he feels "awful" for his errant throw on the play that resulted in Kodai Senga's hamstring injury, even though Senga told him he felt a pull before he ever jumped for the ball.

Still, Alonso said, "it just sucks. It sucks to be involved in that."

After missing most of last season with several injuries, Senga was putting together an All-Star-worthy 2025. Over 13 starts, Senga has an MLB-best 1.47 ERA. As a team, the Mets pitching staff has the best combined ERA in baseball at 2.80, which has been a main factor in reaching their 45-24 record. 

Senga's absence, no matter how long it'll be, will be a blow to that dominant pitching rotation, but reinforcements are already on the way to Queens. 

Starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea look to be returning to the lineup this month. Before Senga's injury, there was some debate about which pitcher would slot in with the rotation dominating. Now, there's a clear need for either Montas or Manaea to make up for Senga's production. 

Last year, Manaea stepped up for the Mets in Senga's absence and became their unofficial ace in their run to the National League Championship Series. Manaea posted a 3.47 ERA in 2024 and had a wins above replacement average of three. He was rewarded with a three-year, $75M contract in the offseason. Montas was given a two-year, $34M deal, and the Mets hope to unlock his high upside in their much-talked-about pitching lab.

In a news conference, Mendoza told reporters that Senga's injury won't speed up Montas' rehab program. The Mets skipper must feel relieved that the depth of the team's pitching staff can help withstand Senga's absence, for now.