Mets' Kodai Senga throws two solid innings in successful return
Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers the pitch in the first inning during Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Oct. 5, 2024. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
PHILADELPHIA — Kodai Senga’s return began with a bang and finished with a win Saturday.
He allowed one run in two innings in the Mets’ 6-2 victory over the Phillies in Game 1 of their NL Division Series. After allowing a 425-foot home run to his first batter, Kyle Schwarber, he settled in to retire six of seven.
Senga threw 31 pitches, allowed just that one hit, walked one and struck out three (two via forkball). That represented a success for the righthander, who had pitched in only one game all season.
“A lot of things to reflect on, good and bad. The team won, which is all that matters,” Senga said through an interpreter. “A lot of things to reflect on, a lot of things going on inside my head right now. I might pitch against them again, so maybe after the series, we can talk more.”
Senga is lined up to pitch in Game 5 on Friday if the series gets that far. He deemed himself healthy, which means he “might potentially be ready for a game in the future,” he said.
Forgive the hedging. It’s been a long year for Senga. He dealt with shoulder, triceps and calf injuries, and although the Mets wanted him back down the stretch, they didn’t know when he was going to feel ready.
Until, that is, he let them know Wednesday that he wanted in on the NLDS. President of baseball operations David Stearns called manager Carlos Mendoza to let him know.
“Actually, David was the one who reached out to me in the morning,” Mendoza said. “ ‘Hey, we need to talk about Senga.’ OK, what happened?”
He expected another setback, but this time the update was good.
The Mets knew when they decided on Senga to start the series opener that he would not give them more than a few innings. His most recent action came Monday when he threw 25 pitches of live batting practice to minor-leaguers. Two innings was his max, and he proved able to give them that.
“Other than that pitch that Schwarber took him deep,” Mendoza said, “he was really good.”
McSoon?
Jeff McNeil (fractured right wrist) will take a redeye flight from California to rejoin the Mets on Sunday, Mendoza said. He had been in California in recent weeks with his wife, Tatiana, who was due to give birth. Their daughter, Serena Bee McNeil, was born Friday.
Four weeks after getting hurt when he was hit by a pitch, McNeil is expected to resume baseball activities.
“We’re going to put our eyes on him and start that progression,” Mendoza said.
It is too soon, Mendoza said, to know whether McNeil could be an option for the NLCS if they get that far.
Skipper on skipper
Mendoza considers Phillies manager Rob Thomson a key mentor from their time together in the Yankees’ organization, and the affection is very much mutual.
“I love Mendy,” Thomson said. “He’s a really good baseball man, he understands the game. He understands players and he respects players so he knows how to treat them. He understands how difficult this game is. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Thomson formed his early impression when he was on the Yankees’ major-league staff and Mendoza was a minor-league coach, then a defensive coordinator who assisted in spring training.
“He was a fascinating guy, because it was right at the time where a lot of shifting was starting to come into the game, and I really didn’t understand much about it, but he did,” Thomson said. “So I learned a lot about infield positioning from him.”
Extra bases
The Mets’ NLDS roster featured no surprises, with Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill inserted in place of relievers Huascar Brazoban and Max Kranick. The taxi squad remains the same: Brazoban plus Kranick, plus infielder Brett Baty, catcher Hayden Senger and infielder Pablo Reyes . . . Jesse Winker is playing through a back issue — he was significantly hobbled in the Mets’ celebration Thursday — but Mendoza said he checked with Winker, who insisted he is good to go . . . Luis Severino on Saturday being the first day since Oct. 7, 2006, that the Mets and Yankees played a postseason game at the same time: “I don’t know much about football, but at least in baseball, New York is doing a good job.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
