Senga ‘pretty much done’ for regular season after calf injury
Bill Ladson
NEW YORK – The news is bad for Mets right-hander Kodai Senga, who learned on Saturday that he suffered a high-grade left calf strain. He is out for the regular season, but the team hopes he can return to action if the Mets advance to the postseason in October.
The calf injury occurred in the sixth inning in the Mets’ 8-4 win over the Braves on Friday. As he moved off the mound to field an Austin Riley popup in the top of the sixth inning, Senga grimaced, grabbed his left lower leg and began hopping on his other one. Senga fell to the grass in pain as trainers and other staffers raced up from the dugout, surrounding him on the turf.
“It’s a high-grade strain,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on Saturday. “So, tough news obviously. Hard to put a timetable here, but I think it’s fair to say that he’s pretty much done for the regular season.”
The Mets placed Senga on the IL on Saturday.
Senga left the game after pitching 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out nine batters. It was his first game of the season after missing all of the first half because of a right posterior shoulder capsule strain.
“It’s a huge blow,” Mendoza said. “But at the same time, we got to this point without him. It sucks for him and for all of us. The way I see it, if we see him pitch again, that means we are in a good spot. Hopefully, that is the case.”
With Senga out of commission, it means right-hander Tylor Megill will be part of the rotation. Megill was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday to make the start against the Braves. This is his second stint with the club. He is 2-4 with a 5.08 ERA in eight starts.
Entering Saturday’s action, the Mets held the top National League Wild Card spot — a half-game ahead of the Braves and Padres — and Mendoza feels good about the rotation he has at the moment. Besides Megill, the staff includes Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea and David Peterson.
“We have five legit starters here and they put us in this position that we are in right now,” Mendoza said. “Megill is getting an opportunity now and he will continue to get opportunities. We also like what we have in Triple-A. Guys will step up, guys will get opportunities and we’ll be fine.”
