Mets ace Kodai Senga expected to miss rest of regular season with calf strain

NEW YORK (AP) — Kodai Senga’s season is over almost as soon as it started.

The New York Mets pitcher is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after straining his left calf Friday night in the sixth inning of his 2024 debut against Atlanta. The team’s projected No. 1 starter this year, Senga had been sidelined by a shoulder injury since early in spring training.

Senga hurt his lower leg when he bolted away from the mound to make way for teammate Pete Alonso to catch a popup. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday an MRI showed a “high-grade strain.”

“I think it’s fair to say that he’s pretty much done for the regular season,” Mendoza said.

“It’s hard to put a timetable here, especially when we’re talking about a calf. Those are tricky,” he added. “We could be looking at eight, 10 weeks before he’s a big league pitcher — you know, 85 pitches. But yeah, it’s hard to predict.”

It’s devastating news for Senga and the streaking Mets, who began the day holding the top National League wild card even after waiting almost four months for Senga to pitch.

Mendoza did not rule out a return for Senga this year if the Mets make the playoffs.

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“It’s a huge blow. But at the same time like you say, we got to this point without him,” Mendoza said. “It sucks for him, for all of us. The way I see it is, we’ve been through a lot, and if we get to see him pitch again this year that means we’re in a good spot. So, hopefully that’s the case.”

Senga was sharp in his first outing, striking out nine in 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball to earn the win in an 8-4 victory over the Braves. The 31-year-old right-hander allowed just two hits and retired his final 10 batters.

“Yeah, it’s hard for him. We’re feeling it for him because he’s been through a lot the whole year. He goes out there and has a game like that, and then for him to go down that way sucks. But you’ve just got to keep going. No one’s going to feel sorry for us,” Mendoza said.

After getting hurt in spring training, Senga began a rehabilitation assignment on July 3 and went 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA in four minor league starts, three for Triple-A Syracuse and one for Class A Brooklyn.

Senga was 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts last season, his first in the majors after leaving Japan and signing a $75 million, five-year contract with the Mets. He was runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year and finished seventh in Cy Young Award voting.

“We hurt for him. Obviously, he’s put a lot of hard work in to get back to this point,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said following a 4-0 loss to Atlanta. “He’s a true ace when he’s healthy and he’s out there. ... It’s really hard to replace aces like that.”

New York placed Senga on the 15-day injured list and recalled right-hander Tylor Megill from Syracuse. Megill had already been slated to start Saturday against Atlanta as the replacement for rookie Christian Scott, who went on the injured list earlier in the week with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Scott won’t throw for two weeks, but the Mets hope he’ll be able to return this year.

With the arrival of Senga, the club had been planning to shift to a six-man rotation because he’s accustomed to pitching on at least five days’ rest. But now, after his injury, the Mets will stick with a five-man rotation going forward, Mendoza said, and Megill will get another opportunity to hold down a starting spot.

New York president of baseball operations David Stearns has acquired veteran relievers Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek this month to boost a struggling and injury-depleted bullpen, but the Mets could now be in the market for a starter as well before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

“We still feel good with our options. Guys will step up,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got five legit starters here that, they put us in this position where we’re in right now – and Megill’s been a big part of that. He’s getting an opportunity now, people are going to get opportunities, and we also like what we have down in Triple-A. So guys will step up, guys will get opportunities, and we’ll be fine.”

In another move, the Mets optioned right-hander Eric Orze to Triple-A to make room in the bullpen for Stanek, who was obtained from the Seattle Mariners in a trade Friday evening.

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