Is Kodai Senga Healthy Or Injured?

New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga came into spring training looking to build off a successful rookie campaign. Senga went 12-7 in his first year with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts across 29 starts.

However, it appears Senga's start to the 2024 season will be delayed. The 30-year-old pitcher experienced some arm fatigue on February 21, which appears to be a more serious issue.

So, is Senga healthy or injured? Will he be ready for Opening Day?

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Kodai Senga Injury Update

Senga entered spring training as the Mets' number-one starting pitcher. He was also the favorite to start Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers. However, that won't be the case anymore.

After experiencing some arm fatigue on Wednesday, February 21, New York decided to shut down Senga for the day. He then received an MRI, which revealed a moderate right posterior capsule strain. In other words, the right-hander is dealing with a shoulder strain.

At this point, there is no timeline for Senga's return. The 30-year-old's shoulder injury will not require any surgery, but New York has to wait until the pain goes away. Mets' president of baseball operations David Stearns also said the team doesn't "expect [Senga] for Opening Day."

Kodai Senga has a mild strain of his posterior capsule in his shoulder.

He will be shut down until symptoms subside and is expected to begin the season on the IL. pic.twitter.com/N9Ok7eVstW

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 22, 2024

Kodai Senga Fantasy Baseball Outlook

The shoulder strain will likely cause Senga to start the year on the injured list, which is not great news for his fantasy value. The right-hander was originally going in the sixth round of fantasy baseball drafts, but his average draft position (ADP) will gradually fall in the coming weeks.

We don't exactly know how long Senga will miss to start the year. We already know he won't be available to start the year, but how long after that will he miss? It could be 2-3 weeks, or it could be 1-2 months. So, drafting the Mets' starter in fantasy is a major risk.

Kodai Senga has a shoulder injury and is expected to start the season on the injured list pic.twitter.com/6ZfPngtFNo

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 22, 2024

For starters, whenever Senga is fully healthy, it will take him a couple of weeks to build up because of his limited spring training. Even when he does make his season debut, the 30-year-old will probably be on an innings limit in his first couple of outings. It's surely a risk to draft him, especially since he's dealing with a shoulder injury. However, he can be a great value pick in the double-digit rounds if he only manages to miss a couple of weeks.

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