Mets ace Kodai Senga faces hitters for the first time since his shoulder injury

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Mets ace Kodai Senga faces hitters for the first time since his shoulder injury

2024-04-30 07:20 Last Updated At：07:31

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets right-hander Kodai Senga faced hitters Monday for the first time since hurting his shoulder, throwing 21 pitches of live batting practice against minor leaguers at Citi Field.

Senga told reporters he'll face batters two more times before beginning a minor league rehab assignment. He said he thinks he'll be able to return from the injured list right around when he's eligible on May 27, or soon afterward.

New York's top starter, Senga has been sidelined since early in spring training. He is on the 60-day IL with a right shoulder capsule strain.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was encouraged by Senga's mound session.

“The way the ball was coming out, there was no hesitation. He was just letting it loose, using all his pitches,” Mendoza said. “Since he went down, the thing that I've been saying is, how's he going to bounce back? The biggest thing is tomorrow and the following day. But so far, he looked pretty sharp today.”

The 31-year-old Senga is scheduled to face hitters again Friday, but Mendoza said the Mets will be flexible and give him an extra day of rest anytime he might need it throughout his progression.

Senga went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts for the Mets last year, making the NL All-Star team during his first season in the majors after arriving from Japan. He struck out 202 batters in 166 1/3 innings, finishing runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year and seventh in Cy Young Award voting.

Senga is in the second season of a $75 million, five-year contract he signed with the Mets after pitching in Japan for 11 seasons.

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Scottie Scheffler arrested at PGA Championship for traffic violation, returns in time to tee off

2024-05-17 22:29 Last Updated At：22:30

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was taken to jail for not following police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.

In a span of four hours, the top-ranked golfer in the world was arrested wearing gym shorts and a tee shirt, dressed in an orange jail shirt for his mug shot, returned to Valhalla Golf Club in golf clothes and made his 10:08 a.m. second-round tee time.

“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” he said in a statement released as he was warming up on the range. "It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do.

“I never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” he said. “I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today. Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”

His attorney, Steve Romines in Louisville, also described it as a misunderstanding and told The Associated Press, “We will litigate the case as it goes.”

Traffic was backed up for about a mile in both directions on the only road that leads to Valhalla in the morning darkness with light rain, with dozens of police vehicles flashing red-and-blue lights near the entrance.

Police said a pedestrian had been struck by a bus while crossing the road in a lane that was dedicated to tournament traffic and was pronounced dead at the scene about 5:09 a.m. The PGA of America identified the man as an employee of one of its vendors.

“This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones,” the PGA said in a statement.

ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington said Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world who was to start the second round at 8:48 a.m., drove past a police officer a little after 6 a.m. in his SUV with markings on the door indicating it was a PGA Championship vehicle.

The officer screamed at him to stop and then grabbed onto the car until Scheffler stopped about 10 yards later.

Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. — about 2 1/2 hours before he was scheduled to start his second round. Police said he was booked for second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

“The main thing is he was proceeding exactly as he was directed in a marked vehicle with credentials," Romines said. “He didn’t do anything intentionally wrong.”

The officer, identified in the arrest report as Det. Gillis, was dragged “to the ground” and suffered “pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist” after the car “accelerated forward," according to Louisville police.

The officer was dressed in a high visibility reflective jacket when he stopped Scheffler's car to give instructions, the arrest sheet said. Gillis was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

Darlington watched it unfold. He said police pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs.

“Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back, in handcuffs, very stunned about what was happening, looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me,’" Darlington said. “He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”

Mitchell told Louisville radio station WHAS the man was crossing Shelbyville Road about 5 a.m. and the bus didn't see him. Mitchell said the man was pronounced dead on the scene.

The PGA Championship posted a notice that play would be delayed because of the accident. The second round was to start 1 hour, 20 minutes later than scheduled tee times, meaning Scheffler was not due to start until 10:08 a.m.

Scheffler was released by police and returned to the course at 9:12 a.m. He made his way to the practice area around 9:30 a.m. and was welcomed by fans — one shouted “free Scottie!”

With cars backed up in the morning darkness, other PGA-marked vehicles tried to move slowly toward the entrance. Traffic finally began to move gradually a little before 7 a.m.

It was a surreal start to what already has been a wild week of weather — the Masters champion and top-ranked player in the world, dressed in workout clothes with his hands in cuffs behind his back amid flashing flights.

Darlington said police were not sure who Scheffler was. He said an officer asked him to leave and when he identified himself being with the media, he was told, “There's nothing you can do. He's going to jail.”

Darlington said another police officer later approached with a notepad and asked if he knew the name of the person they put in handcuffs.

Scheffler is coming off four victories in his last five tournaments, including his second Masters title. He was home in Dallas the last three weeks waiting on the birth of his first child, a son that was born May 8.

Scheffler opened with a 4-under 67 and was five shots out of the lead as he tries to become only the fifth player since 1960 to win the first two majors of the year.

Associated Press writer Dylan Lovan contributed.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf