Mets’ Kodai Senga, Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara chase past form

The Miami Marlins know Sandy Alcantara is back and showing hints of his old self after an injury-ruined 2024 season.

The Mets hope they begin finding out the same about Kodai Senga on Tuesday night, when Senga takes the mound as New York visits Miami in the middle game of a three-game series between National League East rivals.

Senga (1-0, 3.38 ERA in 2024) will be making his season debut when he opposes Alcantara (0-0, 3.86 ERA).

The Mets hit four homers in a 10-4 win over the Marlins on Monday, when Pete Alonso’s grand slam powered a seven-run fifth inning.

David Peterson tossed six solid innings of two-run ball for the Mets, whose starters have compiled a 2.95 ERA through four games. But the potential X factor in the rotation is Senga, who looked like an ace when he finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting and seventh in the NL Cy Young Award race after going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 2023.

Senga made just one regular-season appearance last year. He was diagnosed with a right shoulder strain shortly after reporting to spring training, and when he finally returned to face the Atlanta Braves on July 26, he strained his left calf while getting out of the way of an infield popup.

The 32-year-old Japan native returned for the postseason, when he went 0-1 with a 12.60 ERA in three games (two starts) covering five innings. Senga had a normal offseason and went 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA and nine strikeouts over nine innings during three Grapefruit League starts.

Senga also seemed more engaged with teammates and staffers, most of whom rarely saw him while he rehabbed last season.

“He’s on a mission,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said during spring training. “This is a guy that wants to stay healthy because of what he went through last year. He knows he’s a big part of this team and I see a guy that is having fun.

“Last year, he went down early and it was frustrating for him. Now you can see a smile on his face.”

Alcantara’s first big league appearance in more than 18 months generated plenty of smiles among the Marlins on Thursday. He didn’t factor into the decision after giving up two runs over 4 2/3 innings in Miami’s 5-4 Opening Day win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He walked four and struck out seven.

Alcantara, who won the 2022 NL Cy Young Award and ranked second in the majors with 858 1/3 innings from 2019 through 2023, sustained a right UCL sprain on Sept. 3, 2023, and underwent Tommy John surgery one month later. He didn’t pitch at all last season but didn’t allow a hit Thursday until Ke’Bryan Hayes singled with two outs in the fifth.

“A little nervous — a lot of emotion out there,” Alcantara said. “I was close to crying, but I’m hard to (make) cry. But I feel good. Finally, I’m back on a big-league mound.

“I feel very happy about myself and the journey and all the sacrifices that I made to be back and healthy.”

Senga was 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four starts against the Marlins, all in 2023. Alcantara is 3-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 15 career starts against the Mets.

–Field Level Media