PORT ST. LUCIE — Kodai Senga has taken a step toward recovery.
The Mets’ ace flew to New York earlier this week to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right shoulder. The hope is that it could expedite the healing process of the strain Senga has in the posterior capsule of his right shoulder.
Senga has been shut down since Wednesday and will not be able to throw for at least three weeks. The healing process typically occurs a few weeks after the injection, so the Mets will reassess after three weeks. If the strain has cleared after that time, he’ll be cleared to start a throwing progression.
“That’s what was recommended by the doctor when they took a look at him,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday at Clover Park. “He said he was on board, so we decided to go that route.”
Though a late April or early May return could be possible, the Mets are still not ready to commit to a firm timeline.
“We’ve got to be careful, but we’ll be flexible as well,” Mendoza said. “Senga knows his body. He’s going to be pretty honest. The conversation that I’m having with him — making sure that he voices his opinion because he knows himself better than anybody. So we will have to adjust as we get him going with his throwing program.”
The Mets are still anticipating an injured list stint for Senga. A capsular strain typically requires a shutdown period of 4-6 weeks. A PRP injection is a regenerative shot produced by a person’s own blood. It could cut Senga’s recovery time in half. Senga, who is in his second year of a five-year contract, can’t throw until the strain is completely healed and the symptoms subside. Should he be cleared to throw after three weeks, he would then need a few weeks to ramp up for game action and likely a few rehab starts as well.
Senga complained of arm fatigue after his last side session, something Dr. Abigail Campbell, the director of the Center for Women’s Sports Medicine at NYU Langone Orthopedics, called “dead arm.”
“I think injection will be reasonable but it depends on the pathology,” Dr. Campbell told the Daily News in a phone interview earlier this week. “Any tiny amount of pathology in the shoulder in a pitcher is going to talk.”
Senga, 31, went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA last season for the Mets, his first in the Major Leagues. He was a finalist for the NL Rookie of the Year Award and received Cy Young votes.
“The only thing I really have to say is using this time to my benefit, working on things I need to work on, and making sure I can get out there as quick as possible,” Senga said through translator Hiro Fujiwara. “Once I’m out there, I can dominate and help the team win.”
