Mets' Kodai Senga to start NLDS Game 1 against Phillies in his first MLB appearance since July

The 31-year-old right-hander has battled calf and tricep issues this season

The New York Mets will start right-hander Kodai Senga on Saturday in Game 1 of their best-of-five National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, manager Carlos Mendoza announced on Friday afternoon. Senga, 31, will be making his first big-league appearance in any capacity since July 26, when he suffered a strained calf in his season debut outing against the Atlanta Braves. He attempted to return late in the year, but was sidelined again by triceps tightness.

Senga, who made just one regular-season appearance after missing the onset of the year because of a shoulder capsule strain, finished second in Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2023. He's compiled a 2.99 ERA (140 ERA+) and a 2.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 30 career MLB starts to date. His contributions have been worth an estimated 4.6 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference's calculations.

Senga threw a 25-pitch bullpen session earlier this week, suggesting that he's going to be on a limited pitch count on Saturday. That could mean that the Mets essentially use Senga as an opener, allowing him to pitch an inning or two before turning the game over to left-handed reliever David Peterson or righty Tylor Megill. (The rest of the Mets rotation figures to include some combination of veterans Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, and Jose Quintana.)

The Mets advanced to the NLDS after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. The Phillies, for their part, earned a bye because they finished the regular season with the second-best record in the NL. The winner of this series will advance to the NL Championship Series against the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Diego Padres matchup.