Mets lose pitcher Kodai Senga to calf strain in season debut after shoulder injury

Kodai Senga’s season debut didn’t end well on Friday night at Citi Field.

Senga, in the sixth inning of the New York Mets’ 8-4 win over the Atlanta Braves, suddenly pulled up in pain while chasing an infield popup off the mound. Senga fell down to the field while holding his left calf, grimacing, as Pete Alonso caught the flyball from Austin Riley to make the out.

Eventually, Senga limped off the field and back to the dugout. His night was over.

Senga was diagnosed with a left calf strain. It’s unclear how severe the injury is or how long he will be sidelined. Senga will undergo an MRI on Saturday.

“He dominated today,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, via ESPN. “You hate to see him go down like that.”

Senga finished with nine strikeouts in more than five innings Friday night in the win. He allowed two hits and two runs, which gave him a 3.38 ERA on the night. The 31-year-old missed the first half of the season after suffering a shoulder injury in May. He has been recovering ever since.

Senga, who was the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up last season, went 12-7 and held a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts with the Mets in 2023.

The Mets rallied out of a 2-0 hole with a wild third inning on Friday. J.D Martinez hit a grand slam to kick off the inning, giving the Mets the lead. Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez each hit home runs that put New York up 7-2. Though Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall each hit solo home runs later in the night for the Braves, it was too late. The Mets held on to grab the four-run win.

The victory marked the Mets’ fifth straight. It pushed them to 55-48 on the season, their best mark over .500 this year, and it moved the Mets past the Braves for the top NL wild-card spot. They trail the Philadelphia Phillies by nine games in the NL East.