Kodai Senga still hasn’t pitched an inning for the Mets this season and there’s no telling when that might change, as the right-hander deals with nerve inflammation that resulted in a recent cortisone shot.
The litany of issues and setbacks Senga has encountered since being shut down with a shoulder strain in spring training basically encapsulates the entire season in Queens.
And on Monday, before the Mets were washed out against the Dodgers, the team’s ace acknowledged having “a lot of regretful feelings” about not having gotten back on the mound and seemingly indicated that he didn’t agree with some of his rehab.
“The biggest part is that I think I understand my body well and I think things it could have gone better,’’ Senga said through an interpreter. “I’m not overly surprised [about] where I am currently, I think I could have fixed some things.”
Asked what he meant by that, Senga continued: “I think the point is that in order to get to 100 percent, you have to hit each benchmark. You have to be 100 percent at each benchmark to get to the ultimate 100 percent.”
Asked if he advanced to a new benchmark before getting to 100 percent at a previous step, Senga said, “Not necessarily.”
“It’s not one specific thing that caused everything,” Senga said of his arm woes that have also included a sore triceps and now nerve inflammation, in addition to another shutdown when he was uncomfortable with his mechanics. “But I just think moving forward, I have to look forward and bang out each thing and ultimately get back on the mound.”
Carlos Mendoza pushed back at the idea that Senga might have been rushed at any point during his comeback.
“I don’t think there’s been any disagreement,’’ Mendoza said of the rehab plan. “There’s conversations. We laid out a plan when he first went down in spring training and everybody was on board. We listen to some of his suggestions. When he started throwing again and feeling good, then it was mechanics and then triceps. Disagreement? Not really. He’s a unique case and he wants to be out there and hasn’t been able to get over the hump.”
Mendoza chalked up Senga’s comments to frustration.
“I think we’ve got a pretty frustrated player here that’s not able to contribute to the team,’’ Mendoza said. “We know how much he wants to be out there, helping the team and right now he’s not capable.”
Neither Senga nor Mendoza was willing to put a timetable on a potential return for the 31-year-old.
Tuesday will be five days since he received the cortisone shot and Mendoza was hopeful that if Senga no longer feels discomfort, he could pick up a ball and begin a throwing program as soon as Wednesday.
Even then, Senga would have considerable time to make up.
“I just want to get back out there,’’ Senga said. “I’m here at the stadium. I see all the guys fighting and it really makes me have the urgency to go back and pitch for the team.”
Senga called his season “obviously not ideal.”
“What’s for sure is I’m itching to come back,’’ Senga said. “I really do want to come back and that’s what I’m striving for. But at the same time, I can’t rush myself.”
