A left calf strain will sideline New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga for the rest of the season, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Saturday.
Senga made his season debut Friday against the visiting Atlanta Braves but lasted only 5⅓ innings before being pulled with the injury. He was set to undergo an MRI exam, and Mendoza said Senga suffered a high grade strain.
Senga, 31, in his second year with the Mets after 11 seasons with the Pacific League’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, opened this season on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder strain he sustained in his pitching shoulder in February.
After getting Austin Riley to hit a popup near the mound leading off the sixth inning, Senga appeared to sustain the injury as he moved away from the area to give the converging infielders room to make the catch. He then fell to the ground but eventually left the field under his own power.
Senga picked up the win on Friday after surrendering two runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out nine.
Last season, Senga went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 games, earning a spot on the National League All-Star team. He struck out 202 batters in 166⅓ innings, and he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting and seventh in NL Cy Young Award balloting.
Senga went 87-44 with a 2.59 ERA in NPB before making the move to North America last season.
MLB.com reported that Senga has an opt-out option in his contract should he reach 400 innings pitched before the end of 2025, which now appears to be very much in jeopardy. Senga sits at 171⅔ innings. If he doesn’t reach 400 innings, he’ll remain under contract through 2027. Senga earns an average of $15 million per season after signing a 5-year, $75 million contract with the Mets in 2023.