Following a 2024 season riddled with injury, Mets pitcher Kodai Senga thrived in his spring training debut on Monday during the team’s 1-1 tie against the division rival Marlins.
Kodai Senga. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Across 31 total pitches, Senga allowed only one hit while logging two strikeouts in two scoreless innings. He was originally thought to pitch one inning then finish his routine on the backfields, but the Mets let him pitch two in front of the crowd.
One of the biggest takeaways from his outing was the debut of his brand new sinker.
“Specifically against righties, it is a pitch that can get ground balls,” manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters following the tie. “It is a pitch that is running into righties, and he gets hitters of his splitters and sliders, so he’s got something going into righties. If that is a pitch that he can really use when he needs to, it is a dangerous pitch.”
Senga’s outing on Monday came after battling a shoulder strain to start the spring.
“I am just very pleased I am able to get out of it healthy, there were a lot of things I wanted to try out that I was able to, just great to be out there,” Senga told reporters via an interpreter following his outing.
“One thing is the consistency of the gyro slider. I’ve been working on that for a while now,” said the righty. “Good feels here and there. The sinker I’ve been starting to practice and had some good pitches here and there with that, as well.”
Senga’s fastest pitch on Monday night was 96 mph, while his four-seam fastball averaged 94 mph. While yielding five swing-and-misses, Senga threw only one ghost fork, which was taken into left field for a line-drive single.
After missing the first four months of the 2024 season with a right shoulder capsule strain while only making one start, the 32-year-old will play a pivotal role in the Mets’ starting rotation to start the 2025 regular season. Starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are set to open the season on the injured list, immediately taking a significant hit on Jeremy Hefner’s group to start the season.
