Godai Senga’s season debut ended badly Friday night at Citi Field.
In the bottom of the sixth inning of the New York Mets’ 8-4 win over the Atlanta Braves, Senga was chasing a pop-up on the mound when he suddenly woke up in obvious pain. Senga clutched his left calf and fell to the field, where Pete Alonso caught Austin Riley’s pop-up for the out.
Eventually, Senga limped off the field and back to the dugout. His night was over.
Kodai Senga is out tonight with a left calf strain. It was an absolutely brutal blow, but the best-case scenario is still far from over. pic.twitter.com/04yalpc5Yg
— MetsMuse (@MetsMuse) July 27, 2024
“He was dominant today,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, per ESPN. “I hate to see him go down like that.”
Senga earned the win Friday night, striking out nine over five innings. 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 finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year award last season, made 29 starts for the Mets last season, going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA.
Senga has been diagnosed with a left calf strain. It is unclear how severe the injury is or how long he will be out. Senga is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday.
The Mets got out of an early 2-0 hole Friday with a third-inning flurry. JD Martinez hit a grand slam to start the inning, giving the Mets a sudden lead, and Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez each homered to make it 7-2. Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall each hit solo homers for the Braves late in the night, but it was too little too late. The Mets held on for a four-run win.
The Mets’ win on Friday night snapped a five-game winning streak, moving them to 55-48 on the season, their best record above . 500, and the Mets edged the Braves for first place in the NL wild card. They still sit nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
