Kodai Senga offers great quote about making playoff start for Mets

Dec 19, 2022; NY, NY, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga speaks to the media during a press conference at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Kodai Senga offered a great quote on Friday ahead of his big playoff start for the New York Mets.

Senga missed the first four months of the season due to a shoulder injury. He returned in late July and made a start, but he suffered a calf injury that has caused him to be out ever since.

Despite all that, the Mets announced Friday that Senga would be starting Game 1 of their NLDS with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday.

If the Mets are planning to keep Senga on a tight pitch count, the pitcher doesn’t seem to be married to the plan.

“If they say 10 pitches, I’m all in for 10 pitches. If they say 200, I’m in for 200,” Senga said Friday.

The Mets may not want to overextend Senga in his first start back, so he’ll probably be closer to 10 than 200 pitches. But it’s pretty cool that he is willing to go as long as the team needs him.

Kodai Senga on how many pitches he can throw tomorrow in his first start since July: “If they say 10 pitches, I’m all in for 10 pitches. If they say 200, I’m in for 200.”

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 4, 2024

The Mets are coming of a win over the Brewers in the wild card round and will be taking on the NL East champion-Phillies.