NEW YORK — In a major blow to the New York Mets, right-hander Kodai Senga has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left calf strain suffered during his season debut on Friday, the club announced Saturday.
Senga suffered the injury while running off the mound to give his infielders room to field an infield fly ball in the sixth inning of the Mets' 8-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves. He immediately grabbed his left calf, fell to the ground in pain and was quickly removed from the game.
The 31-year-old right-hander was cruising to that point, limiting the Braves to two runs on two hits and one walk with nine strikeouts. His fastball reached 98 mph. His signature forkball drew five strikeouts. He threw 73 pitches — six fewer than he threw in his fourth and final rehab start — and looked like the All-Star pitcher from last year.
Senga’s performance and a seven-run third inning fueled the Mets’ fifth straight win and the Braves’ sixth straight loss, a combination that catapulted New York into the NL’s top wild-card spot and second place in the NL East over Atlanta. It’s a remarkable development considering the Mets were 10 games behind the Braves and in disarray in late May.
They've done it almost entirely without Senga, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury less than a week after reporting to spring training. His return was prolonged by an injury setback and dissatisfaction with his mechanics, leaving the Mets without their projected ace for the first four months of the season.
Senga’s return was supposed to be a crucial deadline addition to a mid-level starting rotation after he posted a 2.98 ERA and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season. Instead, it was a 5 ⅓-inning cameo.
In corresponding moves Saturday, the Mets optioned right-hander Eric Orze to Triple-A Syracuse, recalled right-hander Tylor Megill and activated Ryne Stanek, who arrived in a trade with the Marlins on Friday.
