PORT ST. LUCIE — Believe it or not, the Mets are almost a picture of health.
A team that was besieged by injuries all spring received good news Tuesday when MRI exam results on Frank Francisco’s left knee were negative. Andres Torres also returned to the Mets’ lineup after missing two weeks with a sore left calf and lefty reliever Tim Byrdak made his first Grapefruit League appearance since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last month.
Torres’ return gave the Mets a full starting lineup for the first time this spring. Francisco, who received a cortisone shot in his barking left knee on Sunday, threw a bullpen session before the Mets’ 7-6 win over the Yankees.
Torres, Francisco and Byrdak are scheduled to travel north with the Mets following their Grapefruit League finale today against the Yankees.
“There were smiles on all the coaches’ faces today that we finally ran our team on the field,” manager Terry Collins said.
Torres played just two innings, going 1-for-2, and was removed early because he had run the bases hard following his first at-bat.
Francisco, who had swelling in the knee, said the combination of having fluid drained Sunday and the cortisone shot should alleviate the problem. Francisco said doctors haven’t identified the cause of his swelling.
“I’ve got a lot of mileage on this knee,” Francisco said. “I definitely have some inflammation in there.”
General manager Sandy Alderson said Francisco’s knee will have to be monitored throughout the season.
“Especially for a guy who weighs 260 pounds,” Alderson said.
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Ike Davis’ game-ending homer against Pat Venditte brought a Mets celebration at home plate. The game would have ended in a tie had the Mets not scored in the ninth.
“It’s always nice to hit a ball hard,” Davis said. “I haven’t really hit a ball like that all spring so that was nice to end really my last real game of the spring.”
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Alderson tweaked the Yankees for sending only Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Ivan Nova, among their starters, to face the Mets Tuesday.
“I don’t know whether Yankee fans are happy to see a Yankee uniform or would prefer to see somebody recognizable in the uniform,” Alderson said. “But that’s up to them.”
The Mets will play their entire starting lineup, at least for a few innings, today in Tampa.
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The sellout crowd of 7,644 was the largest in the history of the Mets’ spring training facility in Port St. Lucie.