Senga allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks while striking out five across three innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.
Senga was scratched from a start Saturday due to tendinitis in his right index finger, though he looked sharp in his return to the mound. He's now thrown five innings during the exhibition season, and he's allowed two earned runs while striking out seven and walking two. Assuming he doesn't suffer any setbacks, Senga should be ready to begin the campaign in the Mets' rotation.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Throws bullpen session
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Senga (finger) threw a bullpen session without issue Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Senga is nursing some right index finger tendinitis but appears to be turning the corner in his recovery. It's unclear when he might be ready to return to Grapefruit League action, but the Mets anticipate their big offseason signing to be ready for the start of the regular season.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Plays catch Monday
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Senga (finger) threw off flat ground from about 90 feet Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Senga remains inactive off a mound as he nurses tendinitis at the base of his right index finger, but Monday's throwing session is a step in the right direction for the right-hander. Senga is confident that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day, but only time will tell. The Mets will certainly be cautious with their potential star, and the 30-year-old will likely have many more throwing sessions ahead of the regular season.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Expects to be ready to start season
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Senga (finger) told reporters Sunday that he expects to be ready for his first start of the season, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
Senga was diagnosed with tendinitis at the base of his right index finger, and he told reporters that he attributes it to adjusting to the different baseball thrown in the majors. The right-hander was scratched from his start Saturday, but he emphasized that was precautionary, and he could have worked through the pain if it was a regular-season outing. Fantasy managers considering Senga will want to pay attention to further developments, but it does seem likely that he'll be ready to go for the 2023 campaign.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Tendinitis in right index finger
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Senga is day-to-day after being diagnosed Saturday with tendinitis at the base of his right index finger.
Senga was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday in the Grapefruit League, but the Mets called his absence precautionary. The right-hander will likely need a few days of rest and may miss his next scheduled start, but barring a setback, he should be ready for the start of the regular season.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Scratch was precautionary
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Mets manager Buck Showalter told reporters that Senga's scratch due to soreness in his right index finger Saturday was precautionary, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Showalter went as far as to say that if this was a regular season game, Senga would have pitched. The right-hander will likely be given a few days of rest to make sure it doesn't become a recurring issue, but assuming no setbacks, there's a good chance this won't be an injury that carries over into the regular season.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Scratched with sore finger
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Senga was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday against Washington due to soreness in his right index finger, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
This may turn out to be nothing more than an abundance of caution given that Opening Day is still nearly three weeks away, but the Mets are at least worried enough to send Senga for tests. Whether or not a trip to the injured list is in the cards should become clear once the results of those tests are known. The Mets already have one injury concern in their rotation, with Jose Quintana dealing with a stress fracture in his rib, so there could be a path for both David Peterson (foot) and Tylor Megill to open the year in the rotation.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Finds footing in spring debut
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Senga gave up one run on one hit and two walks over two innings while striking out two in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
The nerves showed for the Japanese import during his first game action in a Mets uniform as he walked the first two batters he faced, but Senga quickly settled in and retired Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Jordan Walker in order to escape the first-inning jam -- striking out the latter on his fabled "ghost" forkball. The 30-year-old righty will fill a mid-rotation role this season as the projected youngest member of New York's Opening Day rotation, working behind perennial Cy Young candidates Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Looks good in B-game
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Senga threw 30 pitches in a B-game against Mets hitters Tuesday and came away feeling good about his command, Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News reports.
The Japanese right-hander is on schedule to make his Grapefruit League debut Sunday after signing a five-year, $75 million contract with the Mets this offseason. Senga had some adjustments to make to an MLB-sized ball and steeper mounds on this side of the Pacific, but he doesn't think either will be an issue by Opening Day. "For the slider and the cutter, I've looked at the metrics, the numbers and the movement," Senga said Tuesday through a translator. "I've set goals for myself and through these live BPs I think I've been able to reach my goals, so I'm not worried about the mound." If he looks sharp this spring, Senga's ADP could rise rapidly.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: To make Grapefruit debut Sunday
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Senga is set to make his Grapefruit League debut Sunday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
Senga had some issues adjusting to the larger MLB ball and steeper MLB mound in the early part of Mets camp, but he has apparently looked much sharper in recent live workouts. Now his stuff will be on full display in probably a two-inning outing Sunday afternoon against the Cardinals. The 30-year-old Japanese right-hander inked a five-year, $75 million contract with New York in December after registering a 1.94 ERA in 144 innings last season with the Softbank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Showing better command
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Senga displayed noticeably better command in his latest bullpen session Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
His fastball touched 98 mph during the session. Senga has had a bit of a tough time adjusting to the larger ball and steeper mound in MLB, but per DiComo, the Mets aren't worried. After signing a five-year, $75 million contract out of Japan over the offseason, Senga will be deployed as a mid-rotation starter in his debut big-league campaign.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Skipping WBC
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Senga won't pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Classic in order to continue his adjustment to MLB, Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News reports.
Both the ball and the mound in MLB are different than the ones used in NPB, and the 30-year-old right-hander preferred to stay in Florida and get ready for his Mets debut rather than fly back to Japan to participate in the tournament's opening round. After signing a five-year, $75 million contract in the offseason, Senga is expected to fill a mid-rotation role for the Mets behind Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
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Mets' Kodai Senga: Had issues with physical
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Senga had an "iffy medical" before Mets doctors signed off on his five-year, $75 million contract, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports.
Heyman didn't offer any more specifics on the nature of Senga's injury but added that it's common for Japanese pitchers to show "more wear and tear" on their arms because they usually handle heavier workloads at younger ages. He also writes that people within the organization expressed confidence the 30-year-old would be healthy in 2023. This doesn't sound like something to be overly worried about when considering Senga in fantasy leagues, but it should be filed away in the back of your mind.
