PHOENIX — Mike Baxter will rejoin the Mets today, but now it’s a matter of manager Terry Collins deciding how to deploy him.
The outfielder was activated from the disabled list after the Mets’ 5-1 victory over the Diamondbacks yesterday, providing a potential alternative in left field to struggling Jason Bay.
But Collins called it the “$64,000 question,” when asked how much Baxter would initially play. The manager has been burned on other occasions this season after thinking players were ready to roll following minor league rehab assignments.
“We brought Josh Thole up, he got off to a tough start,” Collins said. “We bring Jason Bay back, he’s off to a rough start. How many times do you jump on the same merry-go-round?”
Collins said he will slot in Baxter initially and see how he is swinging.
The Mets are giving Bay until the end of the road trip to show he deserves to remain the team’s primary left fielder. Bay finished 0-for-3 yesterday, extending his hitless streak to 22 at-bats.
* Kirk Nieuwenhuis was sent to Triple-A Buffalo to create roster space for Baxter. Nieuwenhuis was hitting only .123 (9-for-73) in his last 26 games.
“It’s about production,” Nieuwenhuis said. “At the beginning of the year I put some stuff together and hopefully I can find that again.”
* Frank Francisco pitched a scoreless inning yesterday for Double-A Binghamton, a day after soreness in his left oblique scratched his scheduled appearance. Collins said a big determining factor in the next step for Francisco will be how he feels today.
“I don’t know if he needs back-to-back days [pitching], but I do need to make sure he wakes up feeling he could pitch if needed,” Collins saidAccording to a team source, the Mets do not have anything that could be considered a “solid” offer on the table for Scott Hairston, who has drawn the interest of several teams interested in a right-handed bat. Another source said there hasn’t been much interest in lefty reliever Tim Byrdak.
* Johan Santana will likely begin throwing from a mound this week, Collins said. The lefty has been on the disabled list since July 21 with a sprained right ankle.