PHOENIX — Luis Castillo’s face can be removed from milk cartons across America.
The Mets second baseman turned up in the Arizona desert today, alive and well.
He had last been seen by the Mets on June 2 in San Diego, hobbling around the clubhouse and vowing to avoid a stint on the disabled list. Two days later he was placed on the DL.
“When I went on the DL, I was thinking it would take two weeks and then I would feel better,” said Castillo, who battled a bone bruise in his left foot and sore right heel. “But I feel good right now, and that’s why I’m here.”
Castillo, who is symptom-free, is batting eighth tonight for the Mets, for the start of a three-game game series against the Diamondbacks after going 1-3 in San Francisco to start an 11-game road trip.
Jose Reyes also returned to the lineup, joining Carlos Beltran for the first time this season. It marked the first Mets lineup that included Reyes, Castillo and Beltran since May 20 of last year.
“The tough thing is it’s July and they are just getting on the field, because I know they are going to have adjustments to make,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “But the good thing is they’ll be fresh and hungry to play.”
To clear roster space for Castillo, the Mets optioned the rookie Ruben Tejada to Triple-A Buffalo. Manuel said Tejada was chosen instead of infielder Justin Turner because the Mets didn’t want Tejada sitting on the bench in a reserve role when he could be playing every day in the minors.
“[Tejada], when he got that chance, he really took advantage of it,” Reyes said. “The month he was playing was the most comfortable he was feeling.”
mpuma@nypost.com