SAN DIEGO — Kodai Senga’s selection to the All-Star Game has left the Mets to formulate a contingency plan for their rotation to open the second half.
As it stands, Justin Verlander, Senga and Max Scherzer are scheduled to start in the three-game series against the Dodgers at Citi Field to open the second half.
But manager Buck Showalter said Sunday that if Senga appears in Tuesday’s game, the rotation would likely change, with Carlos Carrasco possibly inserted behind Verlander.
That would potentially leave Senga waiting until a week from Wednesday to pitch again for the Mets, as Showalter wants to keep Scherzer in the Sunday spot and Jose Quintana would likely open the ensuing series against the White Sox following the off day.
The Mets’ expectation is that Senga will be used in the All-Star Game because of his international appeal.
Senga was added to the NL roster on Saturday as a replacement for Marcus Stroman.
“We’re prepared to go either way,” Showalter said before the Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Padres. “We’ll probably have to wait until after Tuesday to let the pitchers know. … If Senga doesn’t pitch in the All-Star Game we will think about him for Saturday again.”
Team officials discussed the possibility of a four-man rotation to open the second half, but are more likely to stick with five.
Quintana battled flu-like symptoms in his final minor league rehab appearance for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday (in which he threw 78 pitches), but remains scheduled to throw a simulated game on Thursday at Citi Field before he’s activated from the injured list.
Scherzer will be pitching with a week of rest after four straight starts pitching on four days’ rest.
On Sunday, the right-hander allowed five runs over five innings against the Padres.
“The fourth start can be a challenge at times,” Scherzer said, referring to the absence of extra rest. “But I thought I put myself in a position to be physically good. I feel physically good and I don’t have any kind of ailments going on so I thought I handled this run correctly.”