The New York Mets (45-24) won their sixth game in a row on Thursday, defeating the Washington Nationals 4-3, and remain comfortably in first place in the NL East.
Ace Kodai Senga earned his seventh victory of the season and continues to look like a contender for the NL Cy Young award after pitching 5 2/3 scoreless innings, but his outing ended prematurely due to injury. Now, Mets fans are crossing their collective fingers.
As first reported by MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Senga exited his start in the top of the sixth with an apparent right leg injury after covering first base and being forced to jump and grab a high throw from first baseman Pete Alonso. When Senga landed, he quickly grabbed the back of his right leg and went down.
Alonso said after the game that he felt partially responsible for the situation.
“Pete Alonso said he feels ‘awful’ for his errant throw on the play that resulted in Kodai Senga’s hamstring injury, even though Senga told him he felt a pull before he ever jumped for the ball,” DiComo reported. “Still, Alonso said, ‘it just sucks. It sucks to be involved in that.'”
The 32-year-old — who had five strikeouts and allowed just one hit and one walk on Thursday — was able to walk off the field under his own power.
Shortly following the contest, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Senga had suffered a strained hamstring and would be placed on the injured list.
“Kodai Senga has a hamstring strain, according to Carlos Mendoza. He will go on the IL. No severity yet until an MRI tomorrow,” DiComo posted on social media.
Kodai Senga Has Looked Like an NL Cy Young Contender This Season
The injury comes amid a stellar spring for the 2023 All-Star.
Senga is now 7-3 with an NL-best 1.47 ERA across 13 starts, while racking up 70 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings pitched. Senga’s surrendered just 51 hits and 31 strikeouts as well.
Senga Coming Off Injury-Riddled 2024 Campaign
The Japanese right-hander flourished as a rookie in 2023, going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 202 strikeouts in 166 1/3 innings pitched over 29 starts. Senga was named an All-Star, was the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up and finished seventh in the senior circuit’s Cy Young voting.
2024 was a much different story.
He was limited to one start in the regular season due to a shoulder injury, followed by a calf strain, but returned for the playoffs.
Senga struggled during the team’s run to the NLCS, however, allowing seven runs (all earned) on six hits and seven walks against four strikeouts in five innings covering three games (two starts).
Pete Alonso Takes Blame Following Mets Ace’s Devastating Injury