Sounding every bit like a man who is staring down retirement, a David Cone spoke in cautious terms yesterday about once again making a triumphant return to the mound.

The 40-year-old righty was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained left hip and underwent an MRI yesterday morning, which revealed mild arthritis. Cone left Tuesday night’s start after two innings when his chronic hip flared up and he was unable to stay in his delivery.

“I kind of figured,” Cone said of the arthritis diagnosis. “They described it as mild.”

Told it didn’t seem like a doom-and-gloom prognosis, Cone answered, “It doesn’t sound that way to me.”

However, Jae Seo will start Sunday and replace Cone until – or if – the highly respected veteran returns. Cone will be shut down for a period of 7-10 days, according to Art Howe, and will take anti-inflammatories. Down the road, a cortisone shot is a possibility. So is retirement.

“It’s disappointing,” Cone said, greeting reporters in street clothes yesterday afternoon. “I thought it’d be my arm, and now it’s my hip.

“In some ways, it’s good. If it was my arm, I’d know for sure I’m done.”

The gritty veteran added that he’d “give it one more shot,” alluding he might not stick around for the next five months to endure nagging hip pain.

Cone is 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA and hasn’t won since April 4. He hasn’t gone more than five innings and only went out for the sixth inning once in four starts.

“I’ll just try to wait and see,” Cone said. “I’m not going to make any rash decisions based on emotion.”