Kodai Senga remains in the Mets’ pitching plans should the NLDS extend to five games.
The right-hander is “trending in the right direction,” according to manager Carlos Mendoza, if the Mets need a Game 5 starter against the Phillies.
Sean Manaea is the Mets’ scheduled starter for Tuesday at Citi Field and Jose Quintana will get the ball for Game 4 on Wednesday.
Senga, in his first appearance in two months on Saturday, threw 31 pitches over two innings.
He allowed a leadoff home run to Kyle Schwarber and then retired five of the next six batters he faced.
“He continues to feel good,” Mendoza said following an optional team workout. “He’s doing everything he has to do to continue to feel that way. Progressing well and in a good spot.”
Pete Alonso has five homers in 50 career at-bats against Aaron Nola, the Phillies’ scheduled starting pitcher for Game 3.
The Mets first baseman owns a 1.050 OPS against Nola.
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“It’s a challenge,” Nola said. “I have thrown some balls over the plate he hasn’t really missed, hit them for home runs.
“I think, especially in the playoffs, it’s a little bit different because everybody is a little bit more focused. Every pitch is a little more heightened and matters just a little bit more.”
The Mets had a limited turnout for the workout — mostly pitchers working in throw sessions and players who needed to receive treatment. It was the team’s first day in New York since Sept. 22.
David Peterson’s role is undefined for the postseason, but the lefty is a key piece of the pitching staff.
Peterson worked a scoreless ninth inning for the save in the Mets’ wild-card series clincher last Thursday and followed that with three scoreless innings behind Senga two days later.
“It’s huge having another lefty there,” Mendoza said, referring to the bullpen. “But it’s a guy that has been one of our best starters and we ask him to get a save to clinch the wild-card series and then we are asking him to come in the middle of a game and give us 50 pitches, kept us in the game, a big reason we won Game 1.”
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