PORT ST. LUCIE — Kodai Senga’s notorious ghost fork is hard to see (therefore the nickname for the pitch), however in case you have been watching the Mets’ 5-2 Grapefruit League loss at Clover Park on Wednesday, you didn’t see any in any respect.
Senga didn’t throw any splitters in his closing Grapefruit League begin of spring coaching. He threw 58 pitches, most of which have been fastballs and cutters. He allowed two earned runs on two hits over 4 innings, walked three and struck out three in a begin that he mentioned felt good at some factors, however at others, “not so much.”
“A lot of things to work on, a lot of adjustments to make,” Senga mentioned by way of a translator. “It went OK.”
Senga held off on the splitter in an try to keep away from re-aggravating the tendinitis in his proper center finger that bothered him just a few weeks in the past. The right-hander skipped a begin due to tendinitis that he feels was the results of altering his grip on the Major League baseball. He doesn’t assume it was his signature pitch that triggered the harm particularly and he’s not involved about throwing it transferring ahead, however he exercised some warning with simply eight days left till the common season.
“As of right now, I’m not worried about not throwing it at all. I’m not worried about anything, really,” he mentioned. “I just want to make this period about whatever it takes to adjust and get ready to throw for Opening Day. So if that requires me to throw it, then I will. If not, then I won’t.”
Senga was in a position to meet with Koji Uehara on Wednesday, a right-hander who pitched for Buck Showalter in Baltimore, in addition to for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. Uehara got here from Miami, the place he’d been a member of the published crew for the World Baseball Classic. The two had beforehand talked on the cellphone, however Showalter wished Senga to have the ability to meet with the nine-year MLB veteran.
However, any tales about Shohei Ohtani’s heroics within the World Baseball Classic have been heard second-hand. Senga stayed in Port St. Lucie to observe Japan clinch the title Tuesday evening.
“I didn’t go because maybe Buck would be mad if I went,” he mentioned.
Senga will end spring coaching by pitching in a scrimmage Monday at Clover Park.
ARMS RACE
The Mets had an All-Star former nearer in camp Wednesday, with John Franco and Al Leiter coming to Port St. Lucie as the ultimate visitor instructors of spring coaching. Franco mentioned he might step into his outdated function and take over for injured right-hander Edwin Diaz, however with one caveat: “Only if I can throw from 30 feet,” he joked.
Absorbing the lack of a prime reliever like Diaz is not any straightforward feat, even for a workforce with a variety of arms just like the Mets. But in baseball, there might by no means be sufficient pitching, so the one factor the reduction corps can do is try to make up for what they’re lacking with out Diaz.
“They’ve got to step up,” Franco mentioned. “[David] Robertson has closed before, so has [Adam] Ottavino, so those guys have to step up. Everybody has just got to step up. It’s a long season and there are injuries and guys who step in for the guys who are hurt have to do the best they can. Successful teams have that.”
EXTRA BAGS
Right-hander Stephen Nogosek threw three innings in a minor league recreation on the again fields. … Injured left-hander Brooks Raley threw dwell batting apply to injured outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo had two at-bats and ran the bases. Raley (hamstring) is on monitor to be prepared for Opening Day and Nimmo (low-grade sprained knee and ankle) is hopeful to be prepared. Showalter want to see them get into one of many closing three Grapefruit League video games and expects them to take action. … Right-hander Carlos Carrasco gained’t make his scheduled begin Thursday in a minor league recreation, however will pitch in a minor league recreation Tuesday. Carrasco is doing a little “elbow maintenance” this week, the identical work he has accomplished up to now to maintain his elbow wholesome.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com