Mets ace Kodai Senga likely to miss rest of season after freak calf injury

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With the New York Mets on a heater, the return of ace Kodai Senga had fans raucous at Citi Field Friday night against the Atlanta Braves. 

But Senga’s return appears to be short-lived. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the high calf sprain he suffered in the top of the sixth inning will likely keep him out the remainder of the 2024 season. 

Senga was trying to get out of the way of a pop-up in the infield, but his first step led to immediate pain, and he grabbed his left calf. 

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Kodai Senga of the New York Mets pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field July 26, 2024, in New York City. The Mets defeated the Braves 8-4. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Mendoza, who said Senga was placed on the 15-day IL, added that it’s "fair to say" Senga won’t return in the regular season. 

Senga wasn't ruled out for the postseason. 

"If we get to see him pitch, that means we're in a good position, right?" Mendoza said, via ESPN. "It's hard to put a timetable here, especially talking about a calf. Those are tricky. So, we could be looking at eight, 10 weeks before he's a big league pitcher [stretched out to] 85 pitches. So, it's hard to predict what we're dealing with."

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The injury happend in the 31-year-old right-hander’s first start of the season. Senga had been dealing with a right posterior shoulder capsule strain, which kept him out the entire first half. 

Senga was performing well up to the point of the injury. His fastball touched 98 mph, and his patented forkball had its signature late break that