Kodai Senga spent part of his winter at home in Japan in rehab mode, with the goal of arriving at spring training ready for a normal buildup toward the season. On that count, the Mets right-hander is confident he succeeded.
Senga said he’s been “normal and healthy” since early January after missing almost all of last season with multiple ailments.
“I am not worried at all,” Senga said through his interpreter. “I just need to ramp up slowly and get through spring training healthy and pitching a lot of innings so we can go deep into the postseason.”
“This offseason has been really great in terms of evaluating what types of movements I need and don’t need,” he said. “I have been able to work on that and I feel really good up to this point. I just need to ramp up slowly.”
The Mets plan to employ a six-man rotation, largely to provide extra rest for Senga, who was accustomed to such a schedule in Japan. Senga, in his first season with the Mets, was better with the extra day of rest than on a normal schedule.
“I think what is really important is my health, and if I feel good I will be able to throw, whether it’s a six-man rotation or five-man rotation, regular rest or long rest,” Senga said. “It’s up to the manager to decide when I am going to throw. I just need to be ready to throw whenever they call on me.”
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