Nearing high-stakes return, Senga works clean inning at Triple-A

The Mets have been without a healthy Kodai Senga for all of about 24 hours this season. But they may be about to get their top pitcher back at the very most opportune time.

Senga took the final step toward returning from his high-grade left calf strain Saturday night at Triple-A Syracuse, where he worked a clean first inning of the team’s 10-3 win over Charlotte at NBT Bank Stadium. Senga struck out a pair and walked a batter during his lone inning of work, throwing 15 total pitches and topping out at 94.9 mph.

It was the first game action for Senga since he suffered the calf injury attempting to field his position during his July 26 return to the Citi Field mound, that outing following a multi-month recovery from a posterior capsule strain in his right shoulder. All told, Senga’s rehab appearances outnumber his Major League outings four to one this season. But that might be about to change.

If Senga recovers as expected, the Mets consider him an option to come off the injured list to start as early as Friday in Milwaukee, to serve in a multi-inning opener role in what could be a game with enormous implications for the playoff-hungry club.

As Senga was toeing the mound in Syracuse on Saturday, the Mets were wrapping up a 6-3 win over the Phillies in Flushing that maintained their two-game lead over the Braves for the final National League Wild Card spot. One more game against Philadelphia separates them from a gargantuan three-game series in Atlanta. Then they’ll spend the season’s final weekend in Milwaukee against the NL Central champion Brewers.

Their entire season could be on the line by the time that series begins. Or the Mets could have all but assured themselves a postseason berth.

Either way, having Senga back on the mound would be huge.

His successful outing Saturday turned that possibility into a probability, assuming Senga responds well following his normal five days of rest. No. 3 prospect Drew Gilbert homered for the second consecutive game and No. 8 prospect Blade Tidwell struck out 10 in six innings behind Senga, who was scheduled to throw as many as two innings and 35 pitches. But Syracuse scored eight times in the bottom of the first after Senga’s inning of work, so going back out for the second would’ve required doing so after an extended break.