SAN DIEGO — The ghost fork is heading to Seattle.
Mets right-hander Kodai Senga was named to the NL All-Star team Saturday afternoon, taking the place of Chicago Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman. The former Mets starter and Long Island native pulled out of the All-Star Game to rest.
The 30-year-old Senga has not disappointed in the first year of a five-year contract. Though he has had to make plenty of adjustments since coming over from Japan, he’s been the most reliable starter for the Mets during a season in which they haven’t been able to rely on starting pitching. Senga has a 1.7 bWAR and is 7-5 with a 3.51 ERA in 16 starts. He’s striking out nearly 12 batters per nine innings, thanks in large part to his deadly put-away pitch.
Coming off of his best outing of the season, Senga has limited opponents to only five runs over his last three starts (18 1/3 innings). Earlier this week in Arizona, he went eight innings for the first time, holding the Arizona Diamondbacks to only one run while striking out 12 hitters to tie his career-best mark.
He’ll join first baseman Pete Alonso next week at T-Mobile Park. It’s also a special moment for his translator, Hiro Fujiwara, who grew up in the Seattle area and attended the University of Washington.
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