Senga's Return Spoiled
Sal Stewart's Homer Powers Reds Past Mets 5-3, Spoiling Kodai Senga's Return
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Sal Stewart crushed a 412-foot, three-run homer in the first inning Tuesday night, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 5-3 at Citi Field Associated Press. The big blast came on just the 10th pitch of the game and immediately hijacked what was supposed to be Kodai Senga's triumphant return from the injured list.
The loss drops New York to 4 games under .500 and moves Cincinnati into a tie for the second NL Wild Card spot MLB.com. It also raised fresh questions about whether the Mets rushed their ace back too soon.
Stewart's First-Inning Blast Ends the Game Early
Jonathan India led off with a walk. Spencer Steer singled. Then Stewart, just 22 years old, turned on a Senga forkball that did not dive and sent it 412 feet into the seats Associated Press. Exit velocity: 108.4 mph. The Reds added a fourth run in the same inning on a fielding error and a sacrifice fly by Elly De La Cruz.
Stewart said the plan was simple. "We knew Kodai would be amped up," he told Cincinnati Enquirer. "The plan was to jump on the forkball if it stayed up. I got a look at one in the dirt and then he left the next one hanging. I didn't miss it." It was his 15th home run of the season, putting him on pace for 30 as a rookie.
Senga's Return Goes Sideways Fast
The Mets had reinstated Senga from the 60-day injured list just hours before game time New York Mets. He had been out since March with a posterior shoulder strain. Instead of a comeback story, he gave up four earned runs in four innings, walked four batters, and threw 88 pitches — with only 55.6% of them going for strikes.
Senga was blunt after the game. "My command was not there," he said in a SNY post-game interview. "The four walks hurt more than the home run. I felt healthy, but the results were unacceptable for this team right now." His fastball sat at 94.2 mph, down nearly 1.5 mph from his 2025 average, according to Fangraphs.
Vientos Homer Sparks a Late Mets Scare
Mark Vientos kept New York alive with a two-run homer off Reds starter Hunter Greene in the sixth inning, cutting the lead to 5-2 Associated Press. The Mets then loaded the bases against closer Tony Santillan in the ninth with the tying run just 90 feet away.
But Santillan got rookie A.J. Ewing to ground out to second base and end the threat Associated Press. It was Santillan's 14th save of the season. Reds manager David Bell praised the "resiliency" of his young roster after the team had been blown out 12-0 the night before.
Mets Rotation Crisis Deepens Heading Into July
Senga's rough outing is a bad sign for a Mets team that has used 11 different starting pitchers in its first 70 games this season, according to The Athletic. He is the team's clear ace. Without him at full strength, New York's rotation is one of the thinnest in the NL.
Fan frustration is already boiling over. Callers on WFAN questioned whether the Mets rushed Senga back to sell tickets for the homestand. Manager Carlos Mendoza pushed back, saying Senga "came out of the game feeling 100%." The Mets now face growing pressure ahead of the July 30 trade deadline with their record heading in the wrong direction.
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