Mets place pitcher Kodai Senga on 15-day IL with calf injury suffered in season debut

Kodai Senga’s season debut did not end well at Citi Field on Friday night.

Senga, in the sixth inning of the New York Mets’ 8-4 win over the Atlanta Braves, suddenly retreated in pain while chasing an infield popup off the mound. Senga fell to the field, clutching his left calf and grimacing, as Pete Alonso caught Austin Riley’s fly ball to make the out.

Finally, Senga limped off the field and back to the dugout. His night was over.

On Saturday, the Mets officially placed Senga on the 15-day injured list, with manager Carlos Mendoza saying an MRI revealed a “high-grade” calf strain. Mendoza said Senga is likely ready to play in the regular season.

Senga was diagnosed with a strain in his left calf. It is unclear how serious the injury is or how long he will be sidelined. Senga will undergo an MRI on Saturday.

“He dominated today,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, via ESPN. “You hate to see him go down like that.”

Senga struck out nine batters over five-plus innings in Friday night’s win. He allowed two hits and two runs, giving 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 on the mend since then.

Senga, who finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season, went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts with the Mets in 2023.

The Mets rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a wild third inning on Friday. JD Martinez hit a grand slam to lead off the inning, giving the Mets the lead. Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez each hit home runs to give New York a 7-2 lead. Although Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall both hit solo home runs for the Braves later in the evening, it was too late. The Mets held on and won by four runs.

The win was the Mets’ fifth in a row. It moved them to 55-48 on the season, their best mark above .500 this year, and it moved the Mets past the Braves for the top NL wild-card spot. They are nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.