The New York Mets open up a huge series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday on the road. If the Amazins take the set, they could be pulling away with the final Wild Card spot. But losing the series would create a tense September in Queens. The Mets have made a lot of changes to their pitching staff and have now sent Kodai Senga to AAA Syracuse.

Senga was sent down to Syracuse, and the Mets responded by calling up relief pitcher Wander Sudero. The Senga move had been rumored for a few days, but the veteran needed to accept the demotion to AAA. He did, finally pressing pause on a dreadful second half of the season.

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Senga was one of the best pitchers in the National League to start the season, with a 1.47 ERA and a 7-3 record through June 12. Then, he suffered a hamstring strain, continuing a troubling injury history in his major league career. Once he returned to the Mets on July 11, he was not the same. He has a 4.73 ERA in 11 starts since the injury, and a 6.56 ERA in his last eight starts.

The Mets have called up Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and, most recently, Brandon Sproat to improve their pitching staff. They were not able to land a high-priced free agent in the winter, so they went with Frankie Montas. That was a disaster, but there were not many options at the trade deadline. So, team president David Stearns called up his three best prospects.

Senga is the odd man out for now, but if he gets himself right, he could be a star in October. He missed almost all of 2024 and struggled in his three playoff appearances because of it. With some elite regular-season numbers, there is hope he can be the ace. But he needs a reset in Syracuse first.