NEW YORK -- If the losses weren't enough, the injuries keep accumulating for the New York Mets, too.
The team placed right-hander Kodai Senga on the injured list Tuesday afternoon with lumbar spine inflammation. Shortly thereafter, manager Carlos Mendoza, whose job security has been the subject of rampant speculation recently, revealed two other important contributors had ailments recently surface: Juan Soto is dealing with forearm tightness that has delayed his return to the outfield, and Luis Robert Jr. wasn't in the Mets' lineup for Tuesday against the Washington Nationals because of lower back tightness.
Losers of 15 of their past 17 games, the Mets are already without shortstop Francisco Lindor, who is in a walking boot as he begins his recovery from a calf injury, for an unknown extended period, and first baseman Jorge Polanco, who was slowed by an Achilles injury before landing on the injured list with a bruised right wrist.
"Nobody's going to feel sorry for us," Mendoza said. "But we got to keep going. We're getting hit hard. It's adversity. But we got to keep going. That's the bottom line."
Soto reported forearm pain to the Mets training staff after throwing Friday. He played catch to 60 feet Sunday and received treatment and played catch Monday. An MRI on Tuesday did not reveal any structural issues. He later played catch again at Citi Field during pregame workouts and emerged encouraged before hitting a two-run home run, his first since coming off the injured list last Wednesday, in the Mets' 8-0 win over the Nationals.
"I just felt it right there on Friday when I was throwing and we were trying to figure out how it's going to be," Soto said. "But, at the end of the day, the images were good and we feel comfortable right now."
This is not Soto's first experience with forearm trouble. The four-time All-Star missed a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in June 2024 with forearm inflammation while playing for the Yankees. He avoided the injured list and returned as a designated hitter for one game before playing the outfield. After Tuesday's win, Mendoza said Soto, though progressing, will not return to the outfield Wednesday.
Robert, according to Mendoza, was limited to one game in Sunday's doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies because of his back pain. He hasn't undergone testing, but Mendoza said that remains on the table.
"They think they can, in the next couple of days, just treat it," Mendoza said. "But we'll see. Obviously, if in the next 48 hours he doesn't get better, we'll have to move forward."
Senga, 33, landed on the injured list after undergoing an MRI on Monday. Mendoza said the exam revealed inflammation, specifically around the L4 and L5 vertebrae. Senga received an epidural and will not throw for the next week to 10 days.
The injury extends a rough stretch for Senga, who did not complete four innings over his last three starts. On Sunday, he surrendered three runs over just 2⅔ innings against the Rockies, exiting with a ghastly 9.00 ERA over 20 innings this season. Christian Scott was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to take his place in the rotation. He will start Friday against the Angels.
