The important step now for Senga and the Mets is to ace this recovery process, in a way they didn’t with either of Senga’s rehabilitations last year. In both instances, it appeared he and the Mets were not on the same page at times. Questions about Senga’s next steps or his ultimate timeline were met with shrugs more often than with other players.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed before Friday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays that Paul Blackburn will get the start on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves in place of the injured Kodai Senga.

The New York Mets staked starting pitcher Kodai Senga a 3-0 lead against the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Pitching with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the second, Senga decided it was the perfect opportunity to explore the space with a 2-2 eephus pitch to José Tena.