"
...(if I split on comma followed by non-whitespace, I will also lose the first character in the word)."
Literally true -- but only applicable if you think no further than splitting on a comma followed by a non-whitespace character; nonsense, otherwise. You need to think through the alternatives.
- What would happen if you merely split on comma?
- What if you state the regex in split as a negative?
- Didn't you read the docs (and thereby find the methods recommended by previous responders)?