The New York Mets will send Kodai Senga to the mound in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, with Sean Manaea slated to start Game 2 on Monday.
Senga, who opened the season on the injured list due to a strained posterior capsule in his right shoulder, will make just his third start of 2024 when the Mets and Dodgers open the best-of-seven NLCS at Dodger Stadium.
In his season debut on July 26 against the Atlanta Braves, Senga left in the sixth inning with a strained calf that ended his regular season. He started Game 1 of the NL Division Series and allowed one run in two innings in the Mets’ 6-2 road win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Oct. 5.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who on Saturday announced the decision to start Senga in Game 1 and Manaea in Game 2, said Senga could pitch a minimum of three innings, though the right-hander from Japan feels he can work deeper into the game.
“There’s not a number I have in mind,” said Senga, 31. “I’m going until they take the ball away from me. And I’m going to go 100 percent until then.”
The left-handed Manaea will start Game 2 on regular rest after twirling a one-run, seven-inning gem against Philadelphia to clinch the Mets’ NLDS win in Game 4 on Wednesday.
“From the beginning, we wanted to put our guys in what we felt was the best position to have success,” Mendoza said, “considering where they are physically.”
If the NLCS reaches Game 5 at Citi Field, Senga could pitch on normal rest for just the fourth time since joining the Mets before the 2023 season. In his previous three outings on four days’ rest, he has a 4.61 ERA over 13 2/3 innings.
“I’m ready for anything,” Senga said. “I don’t anticipate getting to 100 pitches (Sunday). And how many days I have in between it, it doesn’t matter at this point. We need to win the game, so whenever they call on me, I’m ready.”
The Dodgers are expected to start right-hander Jack Flaherty in Game 1 and have yet to name their starter for Game 2. Flaherty (13-7, 3.17 ERA in the regular season) has one appearance this postseason, taking the loss in the San Diego Padres’ 10-2 victory on Oct. 6 in their NLDS. He allowed four runs and five hits, including two home runs, with one walk and two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.