PHILADELPHIA -- Right-hander Kodai Senga stepped onto the mound at Citizens Bank Park and was greeted in his second appearance of the entire 2024 season by Phillies leadoff threat Kyle Schwarber.

Senga had been sidelined for all but one start in the regular season because of a right shoulder capsule strain and a left calf strain, and his first start since July 26 was Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Phillies on Saturday.

Senga caught Schwarber swinging at a first-pitch slider, then delivered a 97 mph fastball out of the zone. Senga’s 95.9 mph four-seamer down the middle enticed Schwarber, who rocked the fastball a Statcast-projected 425 feet to right-center field at 115.8 mph for his fifth career postseason leadoff home run.

At the center of a roaring Phillies crowd, Senga locked in and struck out Trea Turner on five pitches -- the final his signature forkball. He got out of the first inning without further damage after walking Bryce Harper by fanning Nick Castellanos and getting Alec Bohm to pop out to second.

Senga efficiently retired the side in the second inning. Bryson Stott popped out to third base, Senga struck out J.T. Realmuto and he concluded his afternoon with a Brandon Marsh flyout to left field.

“I thought he was actually pretty good,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said during an in-game interview with Tom Verducci. “Other than that fastball that Schwarber took him deep, he was really good. Up to 97 [mph]. The split was really good, [with] depth to it. The slider was good. I was pretty pleased with that outing.”

Senga set up the Mets’ bullpen by throwing two innings with one hit, one run, one walk and three strikeouts across 31 pitches (18 strikes). He mixed in 13 fastballs, seven sweepers, six forkballs, three sliders and two cutters.

Senga got the nod in the series opener following a lengthy rehab stint. After throwing a 25-pitch live batting practice session this week, he informed the Mets’ staff he felt healthy enough to return.

“The first thing we wanted to hear was that he was ready to go, that he was feeling a hundred percent, that there were no issues, no hesitation, by any means, with any of his body parts or anything, and it was just the conviction,” Mendoza said pregame. “That was the biggest thing that we wanted to hear from him.”