The New York Mets have announced an unexpected starter for Game 1 of their National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Kodai Senga will be given the starting eleven in Saturday’s opening match, coach Carlos Mendoza announced on Friday. What makes the pick surprising is that the right-hander only made one start for the Mets due to various injuries during the regular season.

Senga, 31, signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Mets before the 2023 season and was an All-Star in his first season with the team. In 2023, he made 29 starts with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 166 1/3 innings.

However, he injured his right shoulder during spring training and then began having issues with his mechanics while recovering and rehabilitating from the injury. This led to triceps problems and nerve inflammation, which further delayed his return.

In his first start of the season on July 26 against the Atlanta Braves, Senga suffered a strained calf and had to leave the game. To that point, he had struck out nine batters in 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and two hits.

The calf injury landed him on the 60-day injured list, where he has been ever since. The Mets hoped that Senga would be eligible to play before the end of the regular season, but problems with his triceps arose again, preventing that.

Senga reportedly approached the Mets about pitching in that series, which convinced Mendoza to give him the starting job. The pitcher said he felt healthy and strong enough to walk after completing a 25-pitch live batting practice session earlier in the week and felt no discomfort afterward.

Considering how little he has pitched this year, Senga can’t be expected to throw many innings on Saturday. Mendoza wouldn’t reveal a pitch count or innings limit, but it’s hard to imagine Senga throwing more than two innings.

In addition to a fully available bullpen, the Mets are expected to have starters David Peterson and Tylor Megill ready to pitch behind Senga. That should allow Mendoza to use Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana later in the series and extend the rotation with a best-of-five matchup.