Three questions facing Mets as second half of 2024 season begins

The Post’s Peter Botte looks at three questions facing the Mets as they begin the second half of their 2024 season.

Will Kodai Senga return to form after injuries?

The Mets are in a wild-card position at the All-Star break despie the 2023 Rookie of the Year runner-up in the National League not throwing a pitch in the majors due to shoulder and triceps issues.

The Japanese righty could provide a huge boost at the top of what is expected to be a six-man rotation, with him expected to need at least one additional start at Triple-A Syracuse to build his pitch count into the 75-80 range.

The recipe behind the Mets’ surprising, playoff-contending rotation

Can Edwin Diaz be dominant again?

The 2022 season, when Diaz was the best closer in baseball, has been pushed farther into the rearview mirror with a shaky performance after the two-time All-Star missed all of last season with a knee injury suffered in the WBC.

With a shaky bullpen beset by injuries, as it is, the Mets need Diaz to pitch better than his 4.05 ERA and five blown saves in 15 opportunities this year would indicate.

Jeff McNeil looking to end first-half struggles at the plate for the Mets: ‘Just not getting any luck’

Will these be Pete Alonso’s last months with the Mets?

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The first baseman stated this week his desire to avoid being traded before the July 30 deadline, as well as his hope that team president David Stearns will add pieces for a potential postseason run.

The pending free agent made his fourth All-Star team in six seasons, even if teammates Francisco Lindor or Brandon Nimmo probably were more deserving if the Mets only were to have one representative.

In April, Alonso became the fourth-fastest player in MLB to reach 200 career home runs (710 games), but it remains to be seen how much Stearns and owner Steve Cohen will be willing to pay for that production.

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