LOS ANGELES — The signs were there in Philadelphia. On the surface, Kodai Senga“The two innings of one-run ball in Game 1 of the National League Division Series seemed like a triumphant return. He had settled in after allowing a lead over Homer Kyle Schwarberright?
Not really, according to people whose eyes are sharper than mine or yours.
“I don’t know what they see in Senga,” one veteran scout said after Senga’s return to the mound in Philly. “After the Schwarber homer it was nibble, nibble, nibble. It looked like he was afraid to throw it for a strike.”
And what was his fastball command like?
“Doubt,” said the scout.
And the signature “ghost” forkball?
“Passable,” the scout said with a shrug.
Another scout said before Sunday’s NLCS Game 1 that the Mets should not start Senga based on what he saw in the previous outing. After Senga allowed three runs in 1.1 innings and threw only 10 of 30 pitches for strikes, the scout said, “He’s scared. No challenge whatsoever. Cutters and splits, away from the attack.”
Senga bounced the ghost fork, threw the cutter everywhere but where he intended, and saw his fastball speed drop.
It’s not like in an ideal world the Mets would have selected Senga for the series opener. Pitch plans this time of year require input from the training staff, coaches and of course the players themselves.
In this case – and this is an important point – the Mets’ decision makers were told that Sean Manaeawho would have thrown on normal rest, and Luis Severinowho would have had two extra days of rest would have to be pushed back further. That doesn’t indicate a health problem for those pitchers. It simply means that Manaea and Severino were considered more likely to be effective in Games 2 and 3 than in Game 1.
What’s done is done, but that doesn’t mean the Mets should try again.
Asked if Senga would definitely start in a Game 5 (if necessary) as planned, manager Carlos Mendoza said: “We’ll have to wait and see how he responds. I think it comes down to how he’s going to bounce back.”
Senga, who missed almost the entire season with arm and calf injuries, said he was healthy and the problems were mechanical.
The Mets may want to get him to a doctor as soon as possible to make sure this is the case. In late September, Senga reported that his triceps were bothering him during a minor league rehab outing. If that problem arises again, the Mets could cut him from the roster and make him Adam Ottavino the injury replacement. After Game 1, the bullpen will be without David Peterson And Jose Butto in Game 2, and could use Ottavino as early as Monday.
Removing Senga from the NLCS due to injury would make him ineligible for the World Series under MLB rule. It wouldn’t be an easy decision.
On the other hand, the team is thinking hard about whether they can let him pitch again.
