SEATTLE — The National League All-Star team isn’t afraid of ghosts.
Kodai Senga will take his signature pitch — the ghost forkball — with him to the All-Star game, after it was announced Saturday the Mets’ Japanese rookie had been selected to the NL squad as a roster replacement for the Cubs’ Marcus Stroman, who decided last week against participating.
Senga became the fifth Mets rookie selected to an All-Star team, following Pete Alonso (2019), Dwight Gooden (1984), Jerry Koosman (1968) and Tom Seaver (1967). Alonso is the lone Mets’ position player on this year’s roster.
“I wasn’t initially selected and I didn’t really think anything of it, so it kind of caught me by surprise,” Senga said through his interpreter, noting that he received a call from his agent with the news. “I know it’s an honor to be selected.”
Seven other Japanese-born rookies have been selected to All-Star teams: Masahiro Tanaka (2014), Yu Darvish (2012), Kosuke Fukudome (2008), Hideki Okajima (2007), Hideki Matsui (2003), Ichiro Suzuki (2001) and Hideo Nomo (1995).
Among the intriguing possibilities is that Senga will get to face Angels star Shohei Ohtani in the game.
“If I could choose, I would choose not to face him,” Senga said before the Mets’ six-game win streak was snapped after their 3-1 loss to the Padres. “But I know the fans in Japan would love it and I know the fans here would love it too. Whatever happens, if he gets a hit off of me or I happen to get him out, I just want to enjoy the moment.”
Senga bolstered his case with his strongest performance of the season on Wednesday, when he allowed one run over eight innings and struck out 12 in a victory over the Diamondbacks. Overall, he is 7-5 with a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts for the Mets.
The right-hander leads all major league rookies with 113 strikeouts. His 11.34 strikeouts per nine innings remain fifth among qualified starting pitchers this season.
“Reflecting back I have been a little bit inconsistent, doing my job as a starter,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of walks and guys on base and going into the second half, those are things I want to work on.”
Jose Quintana threw 78 pitches for Triple-A Syracuse over 4 ¹/₃ innings and surrendered five earned runs on four hits and three walks in a final minor league rehab start.
The left-hander is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Thursday at Citi Field and return from the injured list for his Mets debut after the All-Star break.