Mets pitcher Kodai Senga will start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against Jack Flaherty and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, marking his return from injuries that limited him to just two starts this season.
New York manager Carlos Mendoza noted that “everyone should be available and ready” in the bullpen.“It’s Senga to start, and then we’ll see what happens,” he said Saturday before the Mets’ light workout at Citi Field ahead of their trip to Los Angeles.
Flaherty, who joined the Dodgers from Detroit at the trade deadline on July 30, struggled in Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, allowing four earned runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Senga made his return in the Division Series, pitching in a major league game for the first time since late July. He started against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 5, allowing one run in two innings during the Mets’ 6-2 victory.
He missed the first 102 games of the season due to a right shoulder capsule strain and managed to pitch only 5 1/3 innings in his sole regular-season start on July 26, where he limited the Atlanta Braves to two runs before injuring his left calf.
Mendoza commented that if the Mets “get to see (Senga) pitch again this year, that means we’re in a good position.” The 31-year-old right-hander had only one brief minor league rehab outing before returning in Philadelphia.
Senga stated through an interpreter that he isn’t focused on a specific pitch limit: “I’m going until they take the ball away from me and I’m going to go at 100% until then.”
Starting Senga in Game 1, regardless of how long he pitches, will help the Mets manage the rest of their rotation at this stage.
Sean Manaea is set to start Game 2 on Monday at Dodger Stadium on five days’ rest, having thrown a career-high 193 2/3 innings. Luis Severino has also thrown 194 innings, his most since 2018. David Peterson has pitched a career-high 121 regular-season innings and has been a key bullpen asset, delivering 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the playoffs.
“From the beginning, we wanted to position our guys for success based on their physical condition,” Mendoza explained. “For Senga, we aimed to keep his routine as close as possible. Some other players benefit from an extra day of rest.”
Including his appearance against the Phillies, Senga has made 28 of his 31 big league starts with at least five days of rest.
