Jason Bay is still undergoing tests, but there are early indications the concussion he sustained last week is not as severe as the one that cost him the final two months of the 2010 season, a team source said Friday.
The Mets left fielder visited with teammates before Friday night’s 6-4 win over the Yankees at Citi Field — his first trip back since hitting his head on the left-field fence eight days ago and staggering from the field with a concussion.
The source said many of Bay’s symptoms have subsided, and there is a sense of optimism he won’t need to miss the remainder of the season — as some within the organization had originally feared. But Bay is under continued evaluation by doctors.
Bay’s previous concussion came in July 2010, when he smashed into the left-field fence at Dodger Stadium.
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Johan Santana received the key to the city from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to honor the lefty’s June 1 no-hitter.
“I know it won’t open any doors or anything, but we’ll take it,” Santana said. “I really want to thank everybody and all the fans and all of New York City for being very nice to me and my family.”
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Citi Field’s new dimensions were kind to the Yankees, who blasted three homers after hitting four Bronx bombs in the last game of their homestand Wednesday.
“I was glad to hear they moved the fences in,” Mark Teixeira said. “I’m all for a pitcher’s duel, but there were times when you would hit a ball 420 feet and it would either be a double or an out. That’s too much. It seems like it’s more fair now.”
Robinson Cano, Andruw Jones and Alex Rodriguez all went deep. Rodriguez hit homers in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Cano has 12 homers over his last 31 games following last night’s moonshot to right field after hitting just three in his first 38, but insists he hasn’t made any major changes.
“I was saying all along, the home runs would come because I felt good at the plate the whole time,” Cano said. “But it’s good to get some results.”
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As R.A. Dickey remains a strong candidate to start the All-Star Game for the National League, the veteran knuckleballer said finding a catcher to handle his signature pitch shouldn’t be an issue.
“There’s always a first time for people to catch the pitch,” Dickey said.
NL manager Tony La Russa has suggested it might be more beneficial to use Dickey early in the game — perhaps as the starter — so there will be time to recover from any potential catching mishaps.
“I’ll do whatever anybody asks me to do,” Dickey said. “I don’t have an ego in this thing.”
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The Yankees saw their season-high, seven-game road winning streak snapped. It was their longest streak away from The Bronx since 2009. … The team signed its third-round pick, high school first baseman Nathan Mikolas, for a reported $400,000.
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Ronny Cedeno (1-for-3) was activated from the disabled list and was in the lineup for the Mets at shortstop. Elvin Ramirez was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to clear roster space, leaving the Mets with six relievers. Manager Terry Collins said if the team encounters a bind in the bullpen, Ramon Ramirez (on the disabled list with a hamstring injury), Pedro Beato and Jenrry Mejia are among the options that could be a phone call away.