has yet to pitch in a game this spring. The 2023 All-Star and Rookie of the Year runner-up is nursing a right shoulder strain. Although reported on Wednesday that the word on Sengas health remained very positive, an update on Friday afternoon from is a little le s optimistic. Initially, Senga was to be shut down for three weeks. Those three weeks have now pa sed, but according to president of baseball operations David Stearns, the 31-year-old wont throw for another 7-10 days. This setback likely removes any hope that Senga would return to the Mets rotation before the end of April, but an early May return is still on the table. Presuming he needs about six weeks to stretch out his arm, therighty could be back on the mound by the first week of May if he starts throwing again next weekend. Needle s Eric Wagaman Jersey to say, the Mets are hoping their ace mi ses as little time as po sible. Senga made 29 starts last season, finishing second among qualified NL starters with a 2.98 ERA. , who made just 13 starts in 2023, gets the Opening Day nod in his place, while , , , and are likely to round out the rotation. More pitching updates from the National League The Nationals have shut down as the southpaw nurses a teres major strain (per ). He will not pitch for at least three weeks. Ferrer, 24, made his MLB debut last season, appearing in 39 games out of the bullpen for Washington. Although his 5.03 ERA and 17.6% strikeout rate were unimpre sive, he induced plenty of weak contact on the ground. Only a handful of NL relievers had a higher groundball rate or a lower barrel rate, per Baseball Savant. Ferrer was a strong candidate to make the Nationals Opening Day roster, and his injury leaves as the only healthy left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster. According to , right-handed pitchers and are the two favorites for the fifth and final spot in the Rockies starting rotation. Hudson, who spent the first six years of his career with the Cardinals, has more major league experience and a recent track record of moderate succe s. He has made 38 starts over the past two years with a 4.78 ERA. Lambert, who made his debut with Colorado in 2019, has started just 32 games in his career, pitching to a dismal 6.38 ERA. Even accounting for the different run environments at Busch Stadium and Coors Field, thats a stark difference. That said, Hudson is more of a proven quantity at this point in his career, while Lambert could still have some of the upside that made him a fringe top-100 prospect before his rookie season. Hudson seems like the leading contender, but theres a reason Lambert remains in the conversation. Chase Silseth Jersey