It’s 9 losses in a row now for the Mets. Just when the fans expected a desperate turnaround against the Cubs, the worst happened. The Mets went down by 12-4 on Friday, and once again, Kodai Senga blew up another chance.

However, the same template was followed after the loss. Manager Carlos Mendoza came out to defend Senga and hoped for the best. Mets Nation is expectedly up in arms, calling out the front office.

“Kodai Senga remains in the rotation for now, Mendoza said. They’ll continue to look at film. ‘We’ve got to help him,'” NY insider Laura Albanese shared via X.

In the second game against the A’s, Senga gave up 7 ERs and secured only 3 SOs from his 2.1 innings. The A’s scored 11 runs and won the game. Senga was again back on Friday in the series opener against the Cubs. He had the chance to not only prove his worth, but also to put the team back on track.

In reality, Senga surrendered badly, allowing 6 ERs and securing 3 SOs from his 3.1 innings. It was made worse by Sean Manaea in the bullpen, and the Cubs went on to pile up 12 runs. And for Senga, this is his worst-ever phase in MLB. For reference, before this week, he’d never allowed more than five runs in a start. He has now done it twice!

Moreover, Senga had never allowed a 3-run homer since his debut in MLB, but he allowed that in his last two starts. So, the Mets fans were already expecting that the team might move away from Senga now, or he would be optioned. But true to his character, Mendoza shared his confidence in the struggling arm.

Yes, a reason could be his contract. His $75 million deal would cover the 2027 season, which means he still owes $30 million. Surely that’s a huge sum to consider for DFA, but optioning him to the minors? Especially when nothing is going in his favor this year. Since his 2026 debut against the Cardinals, Senga’s fastball velocity has dropped about two mph from 97.4 to 95.6.

The Mets struggled with Senga last year, also. In 2025, Senga was going well in his first 13 starts, securing a 1.47 ERA. But returning from his hamstring injury, he struggled for command, ending his last 9 starts with a 5.90 ERA. And that struggle continues. Hence, the Mets fans wonder what Mendoza means by keeping Senga in the rotation and helping him out.

The Mets fans call out Mendoza

Are the Mets even in a position to help Senga when the entire team is facing a historic slump? Fans wonder. “Gotta help the team first, Senga should not be an option right now,” one fan said. The Mets’ defense and offense lineup both need help. Be it Francisco Lindor or Bo Bichette, who are struggling to get beyond .200 and .226 average, or be it Luke Weaver and Devin Williams, who are blowing up the bullpen. The entire team needs help, and the fans think the Mets are in no position to help Senga now.

“Help him? Release him, trade him, or send him back to Japan. He has been helped, and a pitcher that cannot pitch every 5 days should not be in the major leagues,” another fan shared. “The f— we don’t? Dfa him!” Another added.

Optioning him to the minors might be the best available option for the Mets. Why? Because with a current 8.83 ERA, no teams will be interested in Senga. So, trading is not possible. DFA is still an option, but we are skeptical whether Mendoza and David Stearns would risk $30 million in releasing Senga. “Too much money left on the contract to DFA,” one user agrees.

We assume the Mendoza would be more interested in keeping Senga till the trade deadline. If Senga could turn around his performance by July, the Mets could still have a bargain in the trade market. However, the Mets are currently standing with a 7-13 record, and surviving till July seems very risky.

“This is the same crap we heard throughout the second half last year. Let some other team help him at this point,” one user calls out to Mendoza. Last year, Mendoza was just as supportive when Senga was struggling. “We are in the process of figuring things out, where we are going to give him those live looks,” Mendoza said when Senga was struggling during his rehab last year.

So, it seems like the fans are done with Mendoza’s repeated script from last year. Just as Senga’s numbers are going from bad to worse, the Mets need to make a decision soon.