Mets ace Kodai Senga will make at least as many postseason starts as regular-season ones: New York has tabbed Senga to start Game 1 of their National League Division Series against the Phillies on Saturday.
Senga made just one start all regular season for the Mets. He injured his right shoulder before Grapefruit League games started in spring training, and issues with his mechanics and triceps delayed his return until the end of July. When he made his season debut, he looked terrific in 5 1/3 innings against Atlanta — only to strain his calf and land right back on the 60-day injured list.
Senga had worked toward a return late in the regular season, and the Mets were prepared for him to start a game in the final week of the season if possible. But another flareup with his triceps pushed him back again.
Senga has thrown only one inning in a game setting since that July start against the Braves: a rehab appearance for Triple-A Syracuse in late September. He’s thrown bullpen sessions and live batting practice for the Mets in the time since.
Senga will not be used as a traditional starter. Think of him more as an opener likely to go just an inning or two. The Mets could follow him with righty Tylor Megill, initially expected to be the Game 1 starter, or lefty David Peterson, who threw eight pitches to close out Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the Brewers on Thursday night.
“We’re going to let it play out,” manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters about how long Senga could pitch.
While the Mets rotation has performed admirably over the course of the season, no one in it has the ceiling of Senga, who earned Cy Young Award votes in his rookie season in 2023. Senga made two starts against Philadelphia last year. He twirled seven one-hit innings the first time around in Queens, then allowed four runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 frames at Citizens Bank Park in June. He was particularly tough on leadoff man Kyle Schwarber, who struck out four times in six at-bats against Senga.
With Senga and Megill both joining the NLDS roster, the Mets will have to remove two pitchers who were on the wild-card roster. Long man Max Kranick, who didn’t appear for the club in the regular season, figures to be one. Relievers Danny Young, Huascar Brazobán or Adam Ottavino could be the other; none of the three appeared in the series against Milwaukee.
(Photo: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
