The New York Mets made a surprising announcement regarding their starting pitcher for Game 1 of the National League division series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Manager Carlos Mendoza revealed that Kodai Senga will take the mound in Saturday’s opener, despite only making one start for the Mets during the regular season due to various injuries.
At 31 years old, Senga signed a lucrative five-year, $75 million contract with the Mets before the 2023 season and had an impressive first year with the team, earning an All-Star nod. However, a series of injuries, including a right shoulder issue, triceps discomfort, and a calf strain, kept him sidelined for most of the season.
Despite these setbacks, Senga expressed his readiness to pitch in the division series, leading Mendoza to give him the starting opportunity. Following a successful live batting practice session with no discomfort, Senga convinced the team of his readiness.
“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.”
Given his limited pitching this season, Senga is expected to have a restricted workload in Game 1. The Mets have David Peterson and Tylor Megill prepared to follow him on the mound, along with a strong bullpen for support.
This strategic pitching approach aims to maximize the Mets’ chances in the best-of-five series and potentially extend their rotation with arms like Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, and Jose Quintana in the subsequent games.