Mets' Senga 'ready to go' ahead of season debut Friday

New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga will make his season debut on Friday against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.

The 31-year-old Japanese pitcher has been sidelined with shoulder issues since spring training, running into a number of setbacks during his rehab.

"It's been very difficult both mentally and physically," Senga said, according to the New York Post's Mike Puma. "But now that I am ready to go, I want to put all that frustration toward the second half and perform."

The hurler isn't too concerned about his last Triple-A outing, where he allowed five earned runs on 79 pitches in three innings.

"I was definitely working toward something, trying to figure out what I can and cannot do at that point," Senga said. "But really just trying to understand myself. I think it was really productive."

Senga was terrific during his rookie campaign with the Mets in 2023, finishing with a 2.98 ERA and 10.9 K/9 en route to a second-place finish for NL Rookie of the Year.

He'll take over Christian Scott's spot in the starting rotation after the rookie landed on the injured list with a UCL sprain.