PORT ST. LUCIE — Jason Bay still has a long way to go to prove that last year’s concussion won’t affect the way he plays the outfield this season, but he may have taken his first step in that direction yesterday.
After initially freezing on Juan Carlos Linares’ long fly to left, Bay glided back and headed toward the wall at Digital Domain Park. And as the ball carried over the wall, Bay found himself near the fence for the first time since crashing his head into the fence at Dodger Stadium, costing him most of the second half of the season.
“I didn’t think about it, which is a good thing,” Bay said after the Mets beat the Red Sox, 6-5. “I approached it and even ran into it, if you want to get technical. I guess you can check that off the list, at least one time.”
Bay, after slightly altering his swing in the offseason, also added two singles up the middle.
“I’m just trying to be more consistent,” Bay said.
* GM Sandy Alderson hopes the Ronny Paulino saga will be over by Friday.
“I talked to Ronny on Friday and the [U.S.] Consulate,” Alderson said of the catcher, who remains stuck in the Dominican Republic because of visa problems related to his suspension for using PED’s last season. “They both expect him here by the end of the week.”
* Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless inning and is pleased with his progress.
“The ball is jumping out of my hand quick,” Rodriguez said. “I felt that snap at the release point. Usually, I don’t get that until [midway through] spring or when spring is almost over.”
Manager Terry Collins said Rodriguez is ahead of where he thought the closer would be.
* Jon Niese gave up two runs over 3 2/3 innings and said he felt good after his longest outing of the spring. . . . Oliver Perez will get at least one more start as a Met, when he starts against the Astros tomorrow in a split-squad game in Kissimmee. . . . Jason Isringhausen’s bid to return to the Mets is scheduled to continue today and tomorrow, when he is supposed to pitch consecutive days for the first time.