A rival team's injury can affect the Miami Marlins in 2024

Spring Training is here! The Miami Marlins have finally signed a SS and will hopefully be looking at contract extensions next. In the meantime, we can take a look around the division and see if The Fish are affected by what's going on with them. The New York Mets suddenly have an issue with their ace Kodai Senga. I never wish injury on anybody and hope that Senga will be fine as soon as possible. Will this affect The Fish?

The Miami Marlins can be affected by an injury to the New York Mets ace.

Kodai Senga is a key part of the New York Mets rotation. The 31 year old debuted last season and produced a 2.98 ERA/3.63 FIP, with 10.9 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9, in 29 games and 166.1 innings pitched. The strikeout rate was elite, but the control was shaky. It's also important to point out that his FIP was significantly worse than his ERA, making him look more as a mid-rotation than a top of the rotation arm.

The New York Mets are not trying to contend in 2024, hoping to improve more towards the 2025 season. They see 2025 as their next contending year, so 2024 will be more to take a step back. That said, they obviously aren't trying to miss the playoffs on purpose. They will try to make the playoffs in their ideal case.

Kodai Senga is important enough, that their rotation will take a massive hit if Senga spends considerable time on the IL for his shoulder. At the moment he will miss the start of the season due to a posterior capsule strain in his throwing shoulder. He's now on the IL for this to start the season. If this turns out to be more serious and he will miss months, I'm not sure how the Mets will deal with it.

At the moment, the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves look like The Fish's main competition. The Mets getting worse, puts them further below the Miami Marlins and closer to the Washington Nationals, who are largely expected to finish last in the division.