MIAMI -- Kodai Senga made his season debut for the Mets on Tuesday night at loanDepot park, starting a regular-season game for the first time since July 26, 2024, after missing the majority of that campaign with a pair of major injuries.
Senga began 2024 on the 60-day IL with a moderate posterior capsule strain in his right shoulder and ended it with just one appearance after suffering a high-grade left calf strain in his July debut vs. Atlanta. He did, however, make a surprise return in the postseason, allowing one run in two innings in a Game 1 NLDS start against the Phillies. He struggled in the NLCS against the Dodgers, though, allowing three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in Game 1 and three earned runs in 1 2/3 innings in Game 6.
¡°Very exciting,¡± manager Carlos Mendoza said prior to the outing, in which Senga recorded eight strikeouts and allowed four runs (two earned) and three hits in five innings. ¡°The fact that he¡¯s taking the ball today, April 1, after what he went through last year when we only saw him for one game and then a little bit towards the end in the playoffs. Worked really hard in the offseason, throughout Spring Training, and here he is ready to compete and help us continue to get us victory.¡±
The 32-year-old didn¡¯t turn in a performance on Tuesday that quite rivaled his brilliant 2023 showing, but still, he flashed signs of the star power that made him an All-Star in his first season.
His night got off to a rough start -- he surrendered a leadoff double to Xavier Edwards on his second pitch of the game before Kyle Stowers took him deep to center on a 93.4 mph fastball. He recovered to escape the inning on 15 pitches, flashing positive signs for Mets fans in the form of a 94.9 mph max velocity on his fastball and healthy mobility in his legs -- which he showed off by ranging to first on a grounder to record an out after Pete Alonso¡¯s sliding stop.
Senga found a groove in the second, fanning consecutive batters on his signature forkball, the ¡°ghost fork.¡± Marlins center fielder Dane Myers reached base after a fielding error by Francisco Lindor, but catcher Luis Torrens cut Myers down at second on a stolen-base attempt.
In the third, Senga had Marlins batters seeing ghosts, striking out the side (all on forkballs) in a 12-pitch masterclass.
¡°It was not bad,¡± Senga reflected on his forkball, which he used to earn six of his eight strikeouts. ¡°Not great, but not bad. First time throwing to Torrens in a big league game, so I think there are some adjustments that are going to continue to be made, and I think he did a great job using it, and that¡¯s why I was able to perform decently.¡±
Things got shaky, however, for both Senga and New York¡¯s defense in the fourth. Otto Lopez reached on Lindor¡¯s second error of the game, Griffin Conine reached base on a forceout and Senga walked Jonah Bride before Graham Pauley drove in Conine and Bride with a double to left-center.
¡°I thought we played a clean game, it¡¯s like two pitches,¡± Lindor reflected after his first multi-error game since July 8, 2023. ¡°Two ground balls. I take a lot of pride in it, and it doesn¡¯t feel good. I talked to Senga, he said, ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯ I¡¯ve picked him up many times, but it still kind of hurts, you know? I wish I would¡¯ve done better for Senga. Senga had a great game.¡±
Lindor did record his first hit of the season after starting the season 0-for-12, an RBI single in the third inning, and he also stole his first base of 2025.
Senga finished his night strong, turning in a 1-2-3 fifth following Miami¡¯s two-run fourth.
¡°I think I was just a little relieved to be back out there in a big league game after the year that I had last year, and that kind of led to bad results,¡± Senga said of the rocky start. ¡°But after that, I was able to sort out through my head what I need to do, and to how to approach the hitters.¡±
Mendoza was happy with his pitcher¡¯s performance.
¡°Other than the first two batters of the game ¡ I thought he had, like, a wakeup call there [with the home run]," he said. "After that, he was really good. The slider, sweeper, the split was really good. And then the way he was using the fastball, he was really good after the first two hitters.¡±
Mendoza will need Senga to continue to be strong, especially given the hit the Mets¡¯ rotation took with Sean Manaea¡¯s rehab setback.
¡°He¡¯s a big part of this team,¡± Mendoza said. ¡°He¡¯s a big part of the rotation. We saw what he was able to do in 2023, he basically became the ace of the team. And not having him last year hurt. He knows it, everybody knows it, and our goal is to keep it that way.¡±