Kodai Senga

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga is confident he'll be ready for Opening Day despite being scratched from his scheduled start on March 11.

Fantasy Impact

Senga was scratched Saturday due to tendinitis in his right index finger but the right-hander could play catch as early as Monday and possibly make his next scheduled start Thursday. The Japanese import signed a five-year deal with the Mets this offseason and should settle into the middle of their rotation on the heels of a 1.94 ERA across 144 innings with SoftBank of the Japanese Pacific League in 2022.

Kodai Senga said he was "excited to be in a real game" after his first spring training start on Sunday.

Fantasy Impact

Senga allowed one run across two innings to go along with two strikeouts and two walks. His upside is intriguing this season for fantasy managers as he finds himself in the middle of the Mets rotation.

Kodai Senga will skip the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Fantasy Impact

Senga will look to instead work on his mechanics and pitch sequence with the Mets in camp instead in an effort to be ready for the upcoming 2023 season after posting a 1.94 ERA with 156 strikeouts for Softbank of the Japan Pacific League last season. The 30-year-old hurler will be an intriguing name in upcoming drafts as part of a Mets rotation looking to make a deep postseason run this upcoming season.

Kodai Senga reportedly had an "iffy" physical before Mets doctors approved the contract.

Fantasy Impact

The exact details of what was off in his physical are unknown, but it isn't uncommon for young Japanese pitchers to have more wear and tear on their arms due to pitching more compared to US starters. This was said to also have impacted how much he got in his contract ($75 million). With all that being said, the Mets are confident that he will be healthy and ready to roll for the start of the 2023 season, but this will certainly be a situation worth monitoring throughout Spring Training.

Kodai Senga is signing with the New York Mets, pending a physical.

Fantasy Impact

Senga has pitched 11 seasons in the NPB in Japan, compiling a career 2.59 ERA in 1089 innings. Last year, he posted a 1.89 ERA in 148 innings with 159 strikeouts. The Mets' huge offseason continues with the addition of Senga.