The New York Mets announced an unexpected starting pitcher for Game 1 of their National League division series with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Kodai Senga will get the starting nod in Saturday’s opener, manager Carlos Mendoza announced on Friday. What makes the choice surprising is that the right-hander only made one start for the Mets during the regular season due to a variety of injuries.
Senga, 31, signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Mets before the 2023 season and was an All-Star in his first campaign with the Mets. He made 29 starts with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 166 1/3 innings.
However, he hurt his right shoulder during spring training, then developed issues with his mechanics while recovering and rehabilitating from the injury. That resulted in triceps discomfort and nerve inflammation that further delayed his return.
During his first start of the season on July 26 versus the Atlanta Braves, Senga strained his calf and had to leave the game. To that point, he struck out nine batters in 5 1/3 innings while allowing two runs and two hits.
But the calf injury put him on the 60-day injured list, where he’s been ever since. The Mets hoped Senga would be able to make an appearance before the end of the regular season. But issues with his triceps developed again to prevent that from happening.
Senga approached the Mets about pitching in the series, which is what convinced Mendoza to give him the start. The pitcher said he felt healthy and strong enough to go after throwing a 25-pitch live batting practice session earlier in the week and didn’t experience any discomfort afterward.
“If anybody knows himself better than anybody, it’s Kodai Senga,” Mendoza told reporters, via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. “We’ve been through it the whole year with him. The times that he goes out there and faces hitters or throws a lot of bullpens and is not feeling right, he’s always letting us know that. And that wasn’t the case in this situation.”
Considering how little he’s pitched, Senga can’t be expected to pitch many innings on Saturday. Mendoza wouldn’t reveal any pitch count or innings limit, but it’s difficult to imagine him throwing more than two innings if he pitches well.
Yet the Mets are expected to have starters David Peterson and Tylor Megill ready to pitch behind Senga, in addition to a fully available bullpen. That should allow Mendoza to start Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana later in the series and extend the rotation through a best-of-five matchup.
