Oft-injured Kodai Senga likely returning to mound for Mets soon after setback

Kodai Senga could be back on the mound as soon as Thursday after a minor injury setback.Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Senga “felt good” after playing catch Tuesday, which is an encouraging update in the wake of his scratching from a minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday due to ulnar nerve irritation in his right arm.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.

“He was supposed to play catch [again] today, I haven’t heard anything,” Mendoza said before the Mets’ 9-2 loss to the Cardinals at Citi Field on Wednesday night.“We’ll see how he goes after he plays catch today.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s pitching in a game tomorrow or the next day.”The right-handed starter is in the midst of his recovery from lumbar spine inflammation.Landing on the 15-day injured list April 28 (retroactive to April 27), Senga returned to New York and played catch off the mound before the Mets opened the series against the Cardinals.He cited increased mechanical work and practice as the reasoning for his irritation, calling it “minor” and even straying away from labeling it as an injury.“I got some treatment and the treatment effects were a little bit greater than I anticipated,” he said through a translator.“It became a little bit more loose, so that caused the nerve sensations.

It’s not like it’s inflamed, I wouldn’t say this is an injury.Going back to what I said earlier, continuing to strive for those mechanics, striving for health and getting back to the field I don’t think is too far.”The 33-year-old had made three rehab starts — one at Single-A St.

Lucie and two at Triple-A Syracuse — before he was scratched.Over those three starts, Senga posted a 5.25 ERA and allowed at least two runs in each outing.Not only did he walk or hit a batter in every appearance, but Senga was also unable to make it past the fourth ...