Kodai Senga's latest injury comments will make Mets fans run through a wall

The New York Mets have 10 days left to secure their postseason berth. Currently 2.0 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for that third and final NL Wild Card spot, the Mets are comfortably in the driver's seat. It has been an impressive second half of the season for Carlos Mendoza's squad, highlighted by Francisco Lindor's mounting MVP candidacy.

Before the season, most folks were out on this Mets team. The narrative, even out of the front office, was that New York was targeting 2025 as its return to relevancy. Well, the tables have turned rather drastically, and the Mets feel like a team that can do serious damage right now. It's not just Lindor; the entire offense has come alive in unexpected ways, while the pitching staff quietly ranks among the very best in the National League.

Sean Manea has become an indispensable asset on the mound, while Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, and David Peterson all deserve major credit for their output this season. Even more impressive is the fact that New York has made this postseason push without its top ace, Kodai Senga, who has missed all but one game this season with a varierty of injuries.

A shoulder capsule strain held Senga out through late July. As soon as he returned, the 31-year-old suffered a high-grade calf strain, which many feared to be season-ending. Senga is eligible to come off the IL on Sept. 25, however, days before the regular season ends. The Mets won't haphazardly rush Senga back, but he could be on the field before the playoffs.

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Kodai Senga expresses optimism about last-second return to Mets rotation

"What day I come off (the IL) is not up to (me),” Senga said via his translator (h/t Pat Ragazzo, Sports Illustrated). “I’m just preparing myself to be out there and to be able to contribute, and I know that with the team being in a really tight spot and a good position, I need to be at 100 percent to contribute, and I don’t want to come back at anything less than 100 percent."

That is the correct mindset from Senga. The Mets' pitching staff has been good enough to remove any real pressure. This isn't a scenario where New York's postseason fate hinges on Senga's ability to get back and put together a quality start before the campaign is out. New York should be just fine without him.

That said, Senga's next quote is sure to get the New York faithful pumped up.

"I've been working my tail off and devoting all my time towards this. I know that if this doesn't go well, I'm just gonna be in the dugout rooting for my teammates, so I need to make this work."

Senga has been putting in the work. He does not view failure as an option, which is again the absolute correct mindset here. The Mets aren't going to pitch Senga unless he's up to full speed. If anything, it's more risky to pitch Senga than it is to not pitch Senga. He hasn't been able to ramp up much and this is the stretch run. For as talented as Senga is, coming back from a season-long injury stint in the final week and performing remotely well is a tall task.

Now, if the Mets can get even 80 or 90 percent of "normal" Senga for the postseason, that is a huge boon. Senga probably doesn't go 100 pitches deep every game, but if he can give New York a few strong innings at critical junctures in the playoffs, that is more than anybody could've hoped for a couple months ago.

This is just Senga's second season in the MLB. As a rookie, the Japan native dazzled en route to his first All-Star berth, posting a 2.98 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 29 starts. He notched 202 strikeouts in 166.1 innings.

At full strength, Senga is a needle-moving addition to this Mets rotation. Now, let's see how close to full strength he can actually get before the season (and, hopefully, the postseason) is out.