Senga leaves season debut against Atlanta with left calf injury

The Mets appeared to be getting a big addition for their final postseason campaign on Friday with the return of ace-in-waiting Kodai Senga. And in the blink of an eye, it might have been gone.

Senga was excellent for five innings before returning to the mound for the sixth. After four pitches, he got a pop-up from Atlanta’s Austin Riley. But as he got out of the way of first baseman Pete Alonso to make the play, the right-hander tripped and went down between the mound and the first-base line. A captive crowd fell silent.

He spent more than a minute on the field, being examined by medical staff, before getting up and leaving the field with a strained left calf, walking cautiously to the dugout after hugs and handshakes from his teammates.

It was an emotional hairpin turn for the club. They appeared to have bolstered their starting rotation with a pitcher who finished seventh in the 2023 NL Cy Young voting after winning 12 games and striking out 202 batters. And they didn’t even have to make a trade for him.

Senga, who was expected to be the team’s ace this season but has been out all season with a shoulder injury, made his return to the mound against Atlanta, and by any measure, he looked like a potential difference-maker.

The right-handed pitcher, who finished second in the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year voting, did everything that makes him great last season. His fastball topped 97-98 mph. He deployed his signature “ghost fork” effectively. And he flashed a diverse collection of pitches, including a slider, cutter and sweeper, while also being impressively economical.

His score for the game was 5 1/3 innings, two runs, two hits, one walk and nine strikeouts, including the final out of the first five innings.

He was in position to pull out the win with the Mets leading 8-2 going into the sixth. He had thrown only 69 pitches and was brought back for one more frame, perhaps because the relief pitchers had thrown 17 1/3 innings in the previous four games.

He’s reportedly on a pitch count, though Mets manager Carlos Mendoza wouldn’t reveal that, saying only, “We have a number in mind, obviously, and we’re monitoring him. This will be his fifth start of the year (including four on a minor-league rehab assignment). So he’s going to get out there. He’s going to be himself, but we’re going to keep a close eye on him.”

To clear the roster spot for Senga, right-hander Adrian Houser was assigned to the game. But once the game got underway, the Mets weren’t done making moves.

The club completed a trade with the Mariners, acquiring reliever Ryne Stanek for minor-league outfielder Rhylan Thomas. Stanek has appeared in 46 games for Seattle this season and is 6-3 with seven saves, a 4.38 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 39 innings. He is in the final year of a contract.

Thomas was selected by the Mets in the 11th round of the 2022 draft while playing for Southern Cal. He played for Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse this season.

Senga’s return meant the Mets moved to a six-man rotation, with an eye toward giving the right-handed pitcher five days of rest between starts. He was 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts in 2023, but his ERA was 4.61 in the three starts he made on just four days’ rest.

Tylor Megill was tabbed to be the sixth starter and will get the ball Saturday against Atlanta. He was in the Mets locker room for the first pitch on Friday but would not be activated until after the game.

Megill was Senga’s replacement in the starting line-up at the start of the season.

The Mets must hope this doesn’t happen again.

Nunez on IL

The Mets on Friday placed Dedniel Nunez, who has been a key reliever, on the 15-day injured list with a right pronator strain. Manager Carlos Mendoza said imaging tests showed a mild strain and the staff was relieved there was no ligament damage in the elbow. He is eligible to return on Aug. 8, and Mendoza made it sound as if he could be back then or shortly thereafter when he said “it should be a short period.” Reliever Eric Orze was recalled to take his spot in the bullpen.

Nunez, who is 2-0 with a save and a 2.43 ERA in 24 appearances, first felt uncomfortable in Miami after appearing Friday and Saturday. He pitched again in Tuesday’s win over the Yankees, but felt uncomfortable again while playing catch on Wednesday and was sent for testing. “We put him on the IL, but we got good news there,” Mendoza said.

Bader practices

Outfielder Harrison Bader, who has been out since spraining his right ankle Tuesday when he was caught stealing third base in the ninth inning, took batting and defensive practice. He was not in Friday’s starting lineup but took outfield and batting practice “to check boxes” before returning. The club designated right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, whose minor-league rehab assignment expired last week.