Senga Sets The Tone With Gem Against Nats

Kodai Senga won’t pitch in the Mets’ opening series of the regular season against the Houston Astros, but he sure seems ready to get things rolling.

In what was his final Grapefruit League outing before he’s scheduled to throw in a minor league exhibition next week, the 32-year-old right-hander kept a lineup chock-full of Washington Nationals regulars at bay.

Senga was rocky out of the gate, however, as he walked CJ Abrams and Josh Bell in the first inning, the former of whom came around to score on a throwing error by Luis Torrens. He avoided any further damage by inducing a double play off the bat of Luis García Jr., and it was smooth-sailing from there.

Over his final 2 2/3 innings, Senga did not allow another baserunner while striking out four more Nats. When it was all said and done, he kept them hitless throughout the entirety of his appearance.

It was an encouraging tune-up for him after looking a bit off in his prior start against the St. Louis Cardinals on March 21, during which he gave up seven hits and two earned runs across 3 1/3 innings of work while generating just a single whiff.

While Senga surrendered two free passes on Thursday night, they stand as his only blemishes in that category over nine frames this spring. His control has perpetually hindered him, evidenced by his 4.17 walks per nine in 2023, but perhaps he could buck that trend this season.

As a consequence of the Mets’ decision to keep both him and David Peterson in Port St. Lucie while the rest of the club travels to Houston, Newsday’s Tim Healey reported that Senga is currently slated to make his first start on April 1 against the Miami Marlins.

With both Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas on the mend to begin the year, Senga is of paramount importance to the rotation. He validated his frontline potential as a rookie with a 2.98 ERA and 10.93 strikeouts per nine while earning an All-Star nod along with a second-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting, but an injury-riddled sophomore campaign limited him to a combined four outings between the regular season and playoffs.

After tinkering with his mechanics and remaining healthy throughout the spring, the hope is that Senga can shoulder a full workload and reestablish himself as a true difference-maker for New York in 2025.

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