Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
On Friday the New York Mets received some major updates on a pair of star players they badly miss in the starting lineup and rotation.
Due to a recent slump that saw the Mets lose five of their last six, the team enters the MLB games this weekend two games back from the final Wild Card spot. It has been a frustrating last couple of weeks following a month where the club played their way back into playoff contention.
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During this part of the season, it is always hard for Mets fans to have hope, but there is reason for optimism. Since the team has been without two of their best players for some time. Two-time All-Star Starling Marte has been sidelined since the end of June with a bone bruise on his right knee. But he could soon be back.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters on Friday Marte will play in a full nine-inning game tonight for their Triple-A affiliate. If everything goes well, he could be activated from the injured list on Sunday.
After missing all of the season due to a pair of injuries, ace Kodai Senga made his return to New York at the end of July. However, after five and a third strong innings against the Atlanta Braves, he injures his calf while fielding the ball.
The injury was expected to sideline him for the rest of the season, and there was an outside chance of a possible return in the postseason. Those chances seem to be increasing. Also on Friday, team president David Stearns revealed that Senga could start throwing from an upright position “hopefully over the next week to 10 days.”
It doesn’t mean he is doing a normal pitching motion, but the idea is to keep his arm strong and where it needs to be so he can quickly jump back into normal pitching routines and exercises once the calf is fully recovered.
With a month and a half of baseball still level, it is a hugely positive development for the organization as they fight for one of the three National League Wild Card spots.
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