Kodai Senga opens up about leaving Japan for MLB as Mets pitcher quietly builds comeback after injury struggles

The New York Mets are starting to see the version of Kodai Senga they believed in when they signed him. After two seasons slowed down by injuries, the right-hand pitcher is now slowly getting back to his best form in spring training. And now, Senga has shared the simple reason why he came all the way from Japan to Major League Baseball.He said it clearly after his latest outing, he came to compete at the highest level and prove himself. After a strong performance against the Houston Astros, Senga looked calm, focused, and honest about his journey so far. Senga pitched four scoreless innings, gave up just three hits, and struck out four batters. It may just be spring training, but for the Mets, this is an important sign that their pitcher is getting back on track.Kodai Senga did not hide his mindset. He made it clear that his move from Japan was always about testing himself against the best players in the world.“As long as I’m healthy and I’m able to pitch my pitches to my ability, I think the results come along with that,” Senga said. “I’m striving for that and that’s what I’m here to do. I came from Japan to the States to do that. Things aren’t always going to go my way, but if that happens, I’ll grind out there and hopefully the results come.” That journey has not been smooth. After winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2023, Senga struggled with injuries. He made only one regular-season start in 2024 due to a shoulder issue and later returned briefly in the playoffs.In 2025, he showed his quality again with a strong start, including a 1.47 ERA early in the season. But another injury, this time a hamstring problem, again stopped his rhythm. He still finished with a 3.02 ERA over 113.1 innings, showing he can still perform at a high level. Now in spring training, Senga has a 1.86 ERA in 9.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. He is happy but also careful.“I’m still adjusting and so are the hitters,” Senga said. “So the results are the results, and I take it with a grain of salt, but if you look at the metrics of the pitches that I’m throwing, I think that does translate into the season.”While Senga is focused on himself, people around him are already seeing his value.New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza liked what he saw, especially from Senga’s variety of pitches.“(Senga) was pretty good, especially with the secondary pitches,” Mendoza said. “Everything seems to be working, slider, sweeper. Fastball command came and went, but overall, I thought the secondaries were sharp today.”Juan Soto, who joined the Mets lineup, spoke even more directly. He believes Senga is the leader of the pitching group.“That’s our ace,” Soto said. “I mean, if he stays healthy, he’s gonna help the team to go all the way. Definitely, he has the stuff to do it. He’s gotta try to keep himself into the game.”With new additions like Freddy Peralta and young arm Nolan McLean also in the mix, the Mets rotation could become very strong. But everything still depends on one key factor, Kodai Senga staying healthy and consistent through the full season.