On a night where everything went well for him Metsyour ace Kodai Senga He had to leave his 2024 debut against the Atlanta Braves early Friday with an apparent leg injury.
In the sixth, Senga got Austin Riley The right-hander stood up and, as he ran toward first base to cover the ball, he limped away. Senga stood on the ground clutching his calf as trainers examined him. He stood up and was taken out of the game, limping back to the dugout on his power to a standing ovation from the Citi Field faithful.
The Mets announced Senga left with a left calf strain and will undergo an MRI on Saturday.
Carlos Mendoza He was unsure of the severity of Senga’s calf injury, but the organization is confident it is simply a strain. When asked about Senga’s Achilles tendon, Mendoza said they don’t believe it has to do with that tendon, but they won’t know until the MRI results come back.
“He dominated today,” Mendoza said. “You hate to see him fall like that.”
Before the injury, the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up tore through a Braves lineup that, despite its many injuries, remains quite formidable. Senga got off to a hot start, striking out two batters in the first inning, but hung up a cutter to Adam Duvall on the second that traveled 392 feet just inside the left field foul pole.
That homer was his only blemish on Friday night, as he pitched 5.1 innings (73 pitches/52 strikes), allowing two hits, one walk and one HBP. He also struck out nine Braves.
Senga began the season on the injured list after suffering a shoulder strain during spring training. The 31-year-old took his time in his rehab, unhappy with his mechanics, before suffering a triceps injury that set him back.
In his rookie campaign, Senga pitched to a 12-7 record and a 2.98 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP.
