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Jon Niese surrendered a career-high four homers and matched a career high by allowing eight runs as the Mets were routed by the Toronto Blue Jays, 14-5, Friday at Rogers Centre. Catcher Rob Johnson proved the Mets' most effective pitcher, tossing a 1-2-3 eighth while topping out at 87 mph with his fastball and utilizing three pitches. Left-hander Robert Carson also tossed a scoreless frame in his major league debut. The Mets look to get back on track Saturday with Miguel Batista, coming off seven scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, opposing Brandon Morrow.

Saturday's news reports:

• Right-hander Jeremy Hefner is expected to be promoted from Triple-A Buffalo and join the Mets on Saturday, baseball sources told ESPNNewYork.com. We should learn the corresponding move this morning. If no one lands on the DL, it would seem possible that Hefner gets Manny Acosta's roster spot. Otherwise, the Mets could send Carson immediately back to the minors. Hefner tossed three scoreless innings for the Mets in his major league debut against San Francisco, then immediately returned to Buffalo.

• Read Friday game reports in the Star-Ledger, Times, Record, Daily News, Newsday and Post.

• Ken Rosenthal reports Roy Oswalt auditioned for the Phillies and Red Sox, and also will do so for two other teams. He will not land with the Mets, ESPNNewYork.com is assured.

• The area surrounding Citi Field, which has been part of eminent domain claims, has more concrete plans for redevelopment. The Associated Press writes:

Under the agreement, the developers, Related Companies and Sterling Equities, would clean up the area and construct retail stores, including a mall in the Queens neighborhood. Then, no later than 2025, they would start construction on a mixed-use component that would include housing and measure anywhere from 1.3 million square feet up to 4.5 million square feet. The founders of Sterling Equities are Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, the owners of the Mets.

• Terry Collins plans to for David Wright to rest on Saturday, which was prearranged before Wright became sick. The Mets are in a 20-games-in-20-days stretch. Wright actually was pulled from Friday's game in the bottom of the sixth with the Mets trailing, 10-1. Before departing, Wright recorded his 1,300th career high, matching Jose Reyes for second on the franchise's all-time list. He can now set his sights on Ed Kranepool's record: 1,418. Wright's average sits at .409. Read more in the Daily News and Star-Ledger.

• Citi Field will be packed Sunday, even though the Mets are away. A group of ultra-orthodox Jews has rented the stadium for a gathering to discuss the evils of the internet. Read more from the AP via USA Today.

• The stadium also will host a Latin-themed concert, on July 14. The scheduled performers: Gloria Estefan, Ricardo Arjona, Juanes, Alejandro Sanz, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Paulina Rubio, Prince Royce, Jenny Rivera, Tito El Bambino, Toño Rosario, Plan B, Silvestre Dangond and Secreto among others. Tickets to go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. at Tickets.com, by calling (718) 507-TIXX and at Citi Field.

• Collins said Ike Davis is not platooning, and will start Monday in Pittsburgh against left-hander Erik Bedard. Justin Turner started Friday against former college roommate/southpaw Ricky Romero. Read more in Newsday.

• Johnson said he nearly pitched in a game with the Padres last season against the Reds. He threw one inning in college, but had not been a pitcher since high school. Todd Zeile was the Mets' last position player to pitch, eight years ago. Read more in the Post and Record.

• Jason Bay ran and played catch at Rogers Centre on Friday, and Collins said the left fielder should take batting practice during the next series, in Pittsburgh, as Bay aims to ramp up activity toward a return from a fractured rib. Josh Thole, cleared for physical activity following a concussion suffered nearly two weeks ago, should head to Port St. Lucie after the weekend. Ruben Tejada (quadriceps) is fielding grounders but not running the bases. Chris Young's next minor league start, which would have occurred Sunday had he stayed on an every-five-days schedule, has been delayed, but for a good reason -- his wife is having a baby. Jenrry Mejia's third minor league start since Tommy John surgery is scheduled for today, with Double-A Binghamton.

• Class A St. Lucie second baseman Danny Muno was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, MLB announced. Read more in Newsday.

• Jared Diamond in the Journal discusses Bobby Parnell's role. Writes Diamond:

On the surface, this seems like the perfect antidote to the Mets' most pressing issue: They desperately need help surviving the late innings of games. New closer Frank Francisco owns a ghastly 8.04 ERA, while setup man Jon Rauch lost two games in the last two weeks alone. The Mets' cumulative bullpen ERA of 5.00 ranks 28th in baseball. As virtually every Mets reliever besides Parnell continues to struggle, it raises a reasonable question: Why not start trusting Parnell in more pressure-filled situations? Sounds simple enough, but as the Mets learned last season, it doesn't always work out quite so easily. "With what Bobby went through last fall, I'm going to try to avoid that and let him build up to that closer's role," manager Terry Collins said.

• Tim Bontemps in the Post chats with Binghamton third baseman Jefry Marte.

• Matt Harvey struck out a season-high 11 batters and Valentino Pascucci homered twice as Triple-A Buffalo beat Gwinnett, 5-3, Saturday. A scout who watched Harvey originally expressed disappointment with the prospect not throwing a changeup until his 42nd pitch and 10th batter faced. But, the scout added, Harvey ultimately threw 10 changeups by the end of the night and was "very good after a rough first inning" that included surrendering a pair of solo homers. Read Friday's full minor league recap here.

TRIVIA: Which players were involved in the last Mets-Jays trade?

Friday's answer: John Gibbons managed the Jays in 2006, the last time the Mets visited Rogers Centre.

Fred Wilpon told reporters at City Hall on Wednesday morning that David Wright "is playing like a superstar right now."

Wilpon had made unkind remarks toward Wright in a magazine piece last year, saying of Wright: "Really good kid. A very good player. Not a superstar."

It's now highly likely that Wright, who is under the team's control through 2013, ultimately will remain with the organization long term.

Earlier, Wilpon told CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman about Wright staying long term: "I hope that happens." He called the third baseman "a great kid and a great player."

David Wright jawed with his manager, Terry Collins, in the dugout, but insisted afterward he was upset in the heat of the moment with the situation, not at his manager. The Mets ultimately lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-0, Tuesday at soggy Citi Field. Collins pulled Wright in the bottom of the seventh along with Daniel Murphy, trying to protect the third baseman from getting drilled a half-inning after D.J. Carrasco served up a homer to Rickie Weeks, then plunked Ryan Braun with the next pitch. Wright wanted to stand in the batter's box to take the expected retaliatory blow and end the drama.

"At this level, somebody is going to get hit," Collins said about retaliation, to which the Mets skipper felt the Brewers were entitled. "And it wasn't going to be David Wright tonight. I can't control what's going to happen down the road. He's not going to get hurt in this game, in this situation, tonight."

Please join me for a Mets chat at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday here.

Wednesday's news reports:

• Before the T.C.-Wright dugout spectacle, Dillon Gee had let down the Mets. Gee served up a pair of homers to Travis Ishikawa and was charged with seven runs in 5 1/3 innings. "Mistakes that he makes are in the middle of the plate," Collins said. "I mean, when I took him out of the game, Nicky [catcher Mike Nickeas] said every mistake he made tonight they drilled."

Said Gee: "I don't know. I'm at a loss for words today. I felt good out there. I felt like I made a lot of good pitches. In my mind, I only made a couple of mistakes."

Meanwhile, Murphy extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games before departing the game.

Read game recaps in the Record, Times, Post, Newsday, Star-Ledger, Daily News and Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

• Columnist Mike Vaccaro in the Post summarizes the Wright-Collins argument this way:

Whether [the hit by pitch] was intentional or not isn’t important. Neither is the transaction of removing Wright from the game. This was: Both Collins and Wright care enough about this team and this season as it approaches the quarter pole that they were willing to fill the dugout with noise and rancor, even for a lost cause. They are a fine match, a manager who cares and a player who cares even more.

Read my take here. Columnist Tim Smith in the Daily News also opines on the topic.

• Mayor Michael Bloomberg, MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon will participate in a ceremony at City Hall during which the 2013 All-Star Game officially will be awarded to Citi Field. The long-planned event was delayed in being announced for months as MLB worked out contracts with the Javits Convention Center for a fan fest as well as logistics such as NYPD staffing costs for a midtown parade of All-Stars and Central Park concert. You can watch the official announcement live at 11:30 a.m. on the city's web site here. Read more in Newsday, the Times, Post, Daily News and Star-Ledger.

• Collins told Anthony McCarron in the Daily News that Jason Bay "absolutely" will get his left-field job back when he returns from the DL after dealing with a fractured rib. Collins acknowledged the challenge will be finding playing time for Kirk Nieuwenhuis as well, but the manager will make it work. “He didn’t come here to be an extra player," Collins told McCarron about Bay. Nieuwenhuis went 0-for-3 Tuesday. He is hitting .294 with two homers, 12 RBIs, 14 walks and 39 strikeouts in 119 at-bats.

• Josh Thole was examined Tuesday at Citi Field and expected to imminently gain clearance to begin athletic activities. The catcher said he should learn the results of a concussion test Wednesday. Thole, who suffered what may be the fourth concussion of his professional career nine days ago in a plate collision with Ty Wigginton, said his headaches ended Friday. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Record, Daily News and Newsday.

• Jenrry Mejia and Chris Young are slated to move to Triple-A Buffalo to continue their returns from surgeries that both were performed on May 16, 2011. Mejia soon should be exposed to relief work to gauge his ability to contribute at the major league level in that capacity, an organization source told ESPNNewYork.com. Young was due to pitch for Class A St. Lucie on Tuesday night, but the game was rained out. He presumably will pitch Wednesday morning for the Florida State League club before moving to Triple-A.

• A special screening of the Andres Torres-centered documentary "Gigante," about the center fielder's battle with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, will be held at NYU School of Medicine (550 First Ave.) on May 31 at 7 p.m. The free event is open to the public, but preregistration is mandatory at yungogigante.eventbrite.com.

• Wright was noncommittal on his receptiveness to discussing a contract in-season if the Mets approached his representatives.

• Brian Costa in the Journal profiles sudden pinch-hitter-extraordinaire/local product Mike Baxter. Baxter is hitting .471 (8-for-17) with five RBIs as a pinch hitter this season, including a sixth-inning double Tuesday. The contribution also includes a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth inning Friday at Marlins Park.

Plenty of players have found success in pinch-hit roles, but they tend to be veterans who were starters at one point. Baxter, 27, entered Tuesday with just 58 games of major-league experience and just 10 career starts. "Mike is becoming really good at it in a short window," said Mets third-base coach Tim Teufel, who had 192 pinch-hit appearances during his 11-year major-league career. "Usually for a young player, it takes time. He's taken to the role. He's found a way." The Mets' depth was a perceived weakness going into the season. But despite several injuries, they entered Tuesday with a 20-15 record, thanks in part to some unexpected contributions from players at the fringes of the roster. Players like Baxter.

• Michael Salfino in the Journal looks at the Mets' patience at the plate under hitting coach Dave Hudgens. Among the relevant stats: Through Monday, the Mets had seen the most pitches per plate appearance in MLB (3.98), according to Stats LLC, better than runner-up Oakland (3.97) and No. 3 Arizona (3.94). Writes Salfino:

The epitome of the Mets desire to work counts as much as possible, though, is their place as the only team in baseball yet to swing at a 3-0 pitch (70 opportunities). That's widely regarded as the optimal hitter's count. But the Mets clearly don't want to help pitchers work their way out of trouble. New York's patient approach seems to be organization-wide. A spate of injuries have seen four opening day starters head to the disabled list, but replacements Justin Turner (4.22 pitches per plate appearance), Mike Baxter (4.23) and Kirk Nieuwenhuis (4.22) have actually improved the Mets average.

• Baseball America projects the Mets taking Louisiana high school shortstop Gavin Cecchini with the 12th overall pick in the draft next month. The magazine also says the Mets have been "strongly linked" to Texas high school outfielder Courtney Hawkins and Texas A&M right-hander Michael Wacha.

• Brandon Brown had three RBIs and Dustin Lawley homered as Savannah held on for a 4-3 win at Charleston. Read Tuesday's full minor league recap here.

• Collins is not a fan of prescribed roles in the bullpen, but the manager said pregame Tuesday that he needs to accept it as part of the evolution of the game. “Guys are here to do certain jobs,” Collins said. “That’s what they’re paid for. That’s what they prepare for. I mean, you have pitchers in the game today who don’t even go to the bullpen until the sixth inning. They’re not even out there. They’re doing stuff in the clubhouse. They’re stretching. They’re getting rubdowns. That’s the way it is and you have to adjust. I don’t have to like it, but I have to accept it.” Writes columnist Mark Bradley in the Star-Ledger:

No one could have blamed Collins if he took a match and some gasoline to his bullpen roles after Francisco blew the lead twice last weekend in Miami, which was potentially damaging to the psyche of his entire team. And when Francisco got into trouble in the ninth inning on Monday, and the fans were letting him hear it, you wondered, was Collins willing to let another one get away? “The one thing I don’t want to do is turn our bullpen inside out because we have a couple of blown saves,” Collins said. “Everybody has blown saves. But if you start changing everybody’s roles, then all of the sudden it’s very uncomfortable for some guys.” And then Collins repeated, “That’s something I’ve come to accept.”

• Johan Santana and Chris Capuano appear on columnist Bob Klapisch's list of 10 early season MLB surprises in the Record. Writes Klapisch on Santana:

You don’t dominate hitters with an 88-mph fastball without brains and guts, both of which are still Santana’s most precious currencies. His arm has been rebuilt by surgeons, who couldn’t restore the left-hander’s 94-mph heater of his prime. Still, Santana is so good, he’s averaging more than a strikeout an inning. It’s hard to believe Santana was on the DL for the entire 2011 season. Put it this way: The 2.92 ERA isn’t just surprising, it’s magic.

• SNY will televise its "Yearbook" show for the 1962 season for the first time on Thursday at 8 p.m., Ken Belson writes in the Times. Writes Belson:

To sports fans, the show, which is called “1962 Yearbook,” is a wonderful example of how sports was covered a half-century ago, complete with fawning announcers, eager players and a lack of whiz-bang technology that predominates on sports networks these days. “They were trying to generate interest and enthusiasm among the fans,” said Gary Morgenstern, senior vice president for programming at SNY, said of the show and others that would follow. “They weren’t terribly successful, so it was about getting people to fall in love with the team.” The tapes were discovered in 2008, when the Mets were cleaning out Shea Stadium and moving to Citi Field. The video was not meant to be shown on television. Rather, it was to be used by the team’s sales staff to drum up ticket sales in the off-season.

• Miguel Batista remains on target for his next start, despite dealing with a groin issue while tossing seven scoreless innings Monday. He is due to pitch at Toronto on Saturday.

• Mets players already were wearing hockey jerseys in the clubhouse Tuesday, in preparation for a dress-up en route to Toronto after Thursday's homestand finale. Mike Kerwick in the Record spotted R.A. Dickey in a Predators jersey (he lives in Nashville), the Whitestone native Baxter wearing a Rangers jersey, and Nieuwenhuis -- a Denver-area product -- wearing an Avalanche jersey.

TRIVIA: Who hit the homers off Braden Looper to spoil Pedro Martinez's Mets debut in Cincinnati on Opening Day in 2005?

Monday's answer: Gee attended the University of Texas-Arlington.

Chris Schwinden lasted only four innings and served up two homers in a game for the second time on the six-game road trip. Meanwhile, Manny Acosta, who combined with Schwinden to surrender an 11-run inning in Denver, also again struggled. As a result, the Mets lost to the Astros, 8-1, Wednesday and were swept in the three-game series. The Mets finished their trip 2-4. It marked the Mets' final visit to Houston before the Astros relocate to the American League West.

"I think that series in Colorado -- and it's not an excuse, because there's a lot of teams that have to play in Colorado -- but I think that series took a lot out of us," said David Wright, who went 4-for-10 with two walks in Houston. "And then, coming here, I don't want to say we weren't prepared, because we were prepared. We just didn't match the energy and the execution that we had in Colorado. You know, we knew we were going to have some ups and downs, especially with a lot of the young guys that we have on this roster playing right now. But this is what we need to fix if we want to become the team that we think we are capable of becoming. There are way too many inconsistencies right now. It seems like we play great for a series and then poorly for a series. And we're going to have to straighten that out."

Thursday's news report:

• Terry Collins offered no assurance Schwinden would remain in the rotation after a second straight underwhelming appearance in the spot vacated by Mike Pelfrey, who underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery Tuesday. Mets officials have an off-day Thursday to sort through the options. In Schwinden's two starts in Pelfrey's absence, the Rockies and Astros combined to score 26 runs in those games. Wright did say that Schwinden was sick.

Jeremy Hefner, who tossed three scoreless innings during the doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants on the last homestand, would be one logical alternative. Miguel Batista is in the bullpen as a long reliever/spot starter and could always take over the role, especially since the Mets are going to soon need to open a bullpen spot for D.J. Carrasco anyway. Heck, Carrasco did log three innings for Class A St. Lucie in one rehab appearance last week.

Read Wednesday game recaps in the Times, Journal, Newsday, Star-Ledger, Record, Post and Daily News.

• Chris Young may be ready in a month, but he is not scheduled to proceed to a minor league game for his next outing. Young threw a 75-pitch simulated game Monday. His fastball velocity was about 85 mph, according to one Mets official.

• Collins adamantly said last week that Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia are staying put at Triple-A for the majority of the season, not considerations to plug Pelfrey's rotation spot. And that's the proper call. Read my take here.

• Harvey's latest outing at Triple-A was cut short Wednesday because of a 23-minute rain delay. He tossed four innings, too short to qualify for the win in Buffalo's 5-2 victory against Syracuse. Harvey allowed two runs on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts. He threw 68 pitches (36 strikes). Newly installed Mets rules prevent a minor league starter from returning to the mound after a rain delay if he already has logged two innings. Writes Mike Harrington in the Buffalo News about the hoopla surrounding Harvey:

Harvey said he's trying to keep an even keel in preparing for each outing but is aware there's a lot more external noise in Triple-A. "You really do everything you can to not pay attention to it," Harvey said. "It's there so I'm not going to completely try to avoid it. You can bring it in a little and use it as fire to succeed and do the best I can."

"Matt just needs to throw quality start after quality start," [Wally] Backman said. "If he goes out there and does that eight or nine times in a row, it's going to make people wonder and think. But I don't think [a callup] is going to happen right now. It's still a learning process."

Read Wednesday's full minor league recap here.

• Tim Byrdak and Astros slugger Carlos Lee jawed during Wednesday's game.

• Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Wade Miley topped Kirk Nieuwenhuis for NL Rookie of the Month. Miley faces the Mets on Friday at Citi Field.

• Lucas Duda was due to return for the series finale in Houston after a two-game absence because of the flu, but the right fielder was pulled from the starting lineup shortly before the first pitch. Duda was limited to a pair of pinch-hitting appearances in the series. He walked on Monday and struck out Tuesday. Read more in the Star-Ledger and Record.

• Before his ties to the Mets, Rusty Staub originally played in Houston. Actually, the Astros first were known as the Colt .45s when Staub arrived in the majors in 1963. Staub actually will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday's Astros home game, as Houston -- like the Mets -- celebrates 50 years of baseball existence.

Here's Staub's observation as the Astros move to the American League, severing the annual home-and-home series with the Mets: “In the early years the teams were always compared -- which city was going to be better in the long run,” Staub told Roger Rubin in the Daily News about the Astros and the Mets. “The Mets went for credibility with names, but Houston looked better with a group of young players like Joe Morgan, me, Sonny Jackson and Dave Giusti. We changed owners and all of us ended up getting traded. Then the Mets changed philosophies and went young with Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, and it sent them to that incredible 1969 World Series.”

• Mark Winegardner in ESPN The Magazine tells the story of how Bobby Bonilla and the Mets came to strike that deal that now pays the former outfielder $1,193,248.20 per year for 25 years. He also discusses how Bonilla wondered about the security of future payments as Fred Wilpon and family went through the Bernard Madoff trials and tribulations. Writes Winegardner:

Last July, in her New York office, a financial planner by the exquisitely apt name of Jennifer Prosperino received her weekly call from a longtime client. He was a semiretired man in Florida who'd grown up evading gunfire in the South Bronx, where he'd lived in firetrap apartment buildings with junkies in the hallways. He slept with a baseball bat in his bed, dreaming of a better life. His first question for Prosperino was the one he always asked: "Am I going to be okay?" Days earlier, the client, employed part time by his former union, had received a check from the New York Mets for $1,193,248.20 -- the first of 25 annual, identical payments he is guaranteed from a club he last played for in 1999. That means Bobby Bonilla, 49, will make more money than 17 players on the Mets' Opening Day roster.

TRIVIA: Which player has the most homers in Citi Field's three seasons as a Diamondback?

Wednesday's answer: Art Howe's hitting coach with the Mets in 2003 was Denny Walling. Vern Ruhle served as the pitching coach.

David Wright went 3-for-5 with a homer in his return to the lineup with a fractured right pinkie, Jon Niese tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings and the Mets blanked the Phillies, 5-0, Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets already have clinched the series win. They had been 1-7-1 in their past nine series at Philly. Mike Pelfrey opposes Cole Hamels this afternoon, with the Mets aiming for their first sweep in Philly since June 13-15, 2006.

Today is Jackie Robinson Day across MLB.

Sunday's news reports:

• Terry Collins said that on Friday he believed Wright almost definitely would land on the disabled list this weekend. The Mets even flew in Josh Satin to be prepared for that seeming eventuality. Yet Wright returned to the lineup and blasted his 16th homer at Citizens Bank Park, the most by any visitor at the stadium since it opened in 2004. Read more in Newsday.

• Read game recaps in the Times, Star-Ledger, Newsday, Post, Daily News and Record.

• Steven Marcus in Newsday inquires about why the Mets have retired only one player's number -- 41, for Tom Seaver. Casey Stengel's 37 and Gil Hodges' 14 as well as the universally recognized Robinson's 42 also are retired. The Mets placed Gary Carter's No. 8 on the outfield wall for this season -- appearing as it does on the patch on the Mets' uniforms.

"I think the general point of view is we don't want to get to the point where it's somewhat gratuitous and you've got dozens and dozens of people whose numbers are retired,'' Mets executive VP Dave Howard told Marcus. "Historically, from a Mets perspective, this is a very high honor. Certainly from a player standpoint, it's only been Tom Seaver. He's in a class by himself.''

Added Keith Hernandez to Marcus: "Too many teams are retiring too many numbers. They lose their import. So I'm in the camp that it should be something that is special, it shouldn't be marginalized. Who wouldn't want to have their number retired? But it's not something that I think about.''

One obvious number to consider is Mike Piazza's No. 31. Newsday's David Lennon tweeted earlier this year that the Mets are expected to retire Piazza's number after he is inducted into Cooperstown.

• Columnist John Harper in the Daily News discusses the ramifications of Wright's speedy return and Saturday's series-clinching win. Writes Harper:

Injuries are a delicate subject around the Mets, after all the problems they’ve had in recent years. In some cases they made matters worse by allowing the likes of Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and even Wright last season, with his broken back, to play hurt, so now they tend to proceed with extreme caution. That’s why it was a bit surprising, even for Collins, to hear him say on Wednesday that he had a “gut feeling” Wright would play with his broken finger here on Friday.

Even if it wasn’t the manager’s intent, that put a certain pressure on his star player. If Wright couldn’t play, he would look less than tough, at least in the eyes of many fans who took Collins’ gut feeling to heart. Perhaps that’s why Wright sounded a bit defensive when he couldn’t play on Friday, repeatedly saying he couldn’t “functionally” grip or swing a bat because of the swelling in his finger. But then it felt good enough on Saturday to try it, and in a way he made his manager look like a prophet with his big day that raised his batting average to .588.

• Columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post writes that Wright's leadership is clear:

David Wright sent a message to his teammates yesterday: Play hard, play through pain, or go home.

• Mike Kerwick in the Record says Citi Field spectators should not boo Jason Bay. Writes Kerwick:

Here's my advice to Mets fans: Shackle your venom. And give the guy some space. Was it just a coincidence that Bay hit no homers in six games at Citi Field, then blasted one during his first at-bat in a visiting park? Possibly. On Friday night, he said the first week of games was not enough to cause his shoulders to slump. But he has also admitted he hears the boos. Bay is a decent person. And most decent people sag when exposed to this degree of enmity. I can't help but think the booing, on some subconscious level, penetrates his psyche.

• Bobby Parnell recorded the ensuing four outs after Niese departed, including covering the eighth inning for a second straight day. Between the Grapefruit League and regular season, Parnell has not allowed a run in 17 1/3 innings. Read more in the Record.

• Niese has carried a scoreless effort into the seventh inning in both of his outings. Read more in Newsday and the Post.

• In the court filings made late Friday regarding the settlement of the lawsuit against Fred Wilpon and family over Bernard Madoff accounts, one reason trustee Irving Picard cited for settling was the Mets owners' tight finances made getting more money via further litigation dicey. Writes Anthony M. Destefano in Newsday:

In federal court filings late Friday night, trustee Irving Picard said the "restrictive" cash flow, as well as the owners' obligations to banks that lent them money, contributed to doubts that further litigation against Fred Wilpon , Saul Katz and their partners in Sterling Equities would produce a bigger payout. "We have become satisfied that defendants' cash flow and lender covenants would not have enabled me to recover more for the [Madoff] customer fund in the foreseeable future by litigating to the point of judgment," Picard said in an affidavit. The settlement "is a practical and fair compromise" that avoided "a protracted and expensive trial and lengthy appeals," Picard explained in a statement.

Richard Sandomir in the Times also notes the trustee's language in expressing concern about collecting debt from the Wilpons.

• Domingo Tapia tossed seven scoreless innings as Savannah won via shutout for the second straight day. Read the full minor league recap here.

• On the club's 50th anniversary, there is an excerpt in the Daily News about the creation of the Mets from the book, "The Mets: A 50th Anniversary Celebration," written by Andy Martino and Anthony McCarron.

TRIVIA: Johan Santana and Niese started the Mets' two shutouts at Citizens Bank Park. Which Mets pitcher started the last shutout at Veterans Stadium, the home of the Phillies through 2003?

Saturday's answer: Jason Bay's homer Friday against Cliff Lee was the outfielder's 19th long ball as a Met.

R.A. Dickey delivered his 14th straight quality start, the longest active streak in the majors, and Jason Bay and Scott Hairston went deep against Cliff Lee as the Mets beat the Phillies, 5-2, Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. Washington rallied on an eighth-inning homer by Xavier Nady and eventually beat Cincinnati, 2-1, in 13 innings, so the Mets (5-2) remained a half-game out of first place.

Saturday's news reports:

• David Wright indicated Friday that his fractured right pinkie was too swollen to even curl around the bat. Unless there was dramatic overnight improvement, Wright appeared headed to the DL before today's 4:05 p.m. matchup between Jon Niese and Vance Worley. A team source told ESPNNewYork.com that Josh Satin would be expected to be activated for a bench role if Wright does, in fact, end up on the DL. Daniel Murphy, who had a difficult time on three double plays Wednesday, and who committed a game-prolonging ninth-inning error Friday, would shift to third base for the time being, with Ronny Cedeno and Justin Turner sharing second. Read more in Newsday, the Star-Ledger, Post, Times and Daily News.

• Josh Thole felt embarrassed by a baserunning gaffe during Friday's game. On what should have been a second-inning sacrifice bunt by Dickey, Thole -- approaching second -- inexplicably turned around and headed back to first base. He was tagged out for a double play. Read more in the Post and Record.

• Bay's two-run homer in the first inning was his first long ball since last Sept. 8, against Atlanta's Mike Minor. He had a total of one RBI entering the series between spring training and the first six games of the season. Bay had been 4-for-33 with no RBI in nine games at Citizens Bank Park as a Met. With Wright out, Bay is the Mets' best righty-hitting power threat. Writes columnist Kevin Kernan in the Post regarding Bay:

It’s now or never for Bay and he knows it. “It’s a big time for me,’’ Bay told The Post last night after the left fielder finally came up with a big at-bat in the Mets’ 5-2 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Bay crushed a two-run home run to right-center in the first inning off Cliff Lee.

• Read Friday's game recaps in the Record, Star-Ledger, Post, Times, Daily News, Newsday and Journal.

• Top prospect Zack Wheeler's second Double-A start proved a marked improvement from his Binghamton Mets debut. Wheeler allowed one run and five hits while striking out nine. He did not issue any walks, but hit three batters. In his first game as a B-Met, Wheeler had allowed two runs on four hits, three walks and a hit batter in three innings. Read the full minor league recap here.

• The trustee recovering funds for victims of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme filed the official settlement paperwork with the U.S. District Court on Friday regarding the original $1 billion civil suit against Fred Wilpon, his family and their businesses and charities. Judge Jed S. Rakoff should approve the settlement at a May 15 hearing.

• Terry Collins said he may, in fact, start lefty-hitting Kirk Nieuwenhuis against Cole Hamels on Sunday, rather than have a straight platoon with Hairston in center field. Collins reasoned that he does not want to have a rookie not starting two of three games in the series. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Jenrry Mejia has started to face batters as he rehabs from May 16, 2011 Tommy John surgery, while D.J. Carrasco (ankle) has resumed lightly throwing off a mound. There has not been significant progress with Pedro Beato's shoulder. And Andres Torres (calf) is not yet running.

• At Yankee Stadium with the Los Angeles Angels, Jason Isringhausen expressed appreciation to the Mets for reviving his career, and suggested he wanted to re-sign with the organization for 2012. “I wanted to come back,” Isringhausen told Dan Martin in the Post. “We talked to Sandy [Alderson] and he said to call him before I went anywhere. But, by the time I got the deal here, they had already brought all those guys in. ... I’m still thankful they gave me the chance. And Sandy called to wish me luck. But I’m glad I wound up here and I think we have a chance to win.”

• Ken Belson and Mary Pilon in the Times look into the use of Toradol in sports. Mets pitchers Mike Pelfrey and Dickey repeatedly have used the drug before starts, and Johan Santana used it at least once late in spring training. Write Belson and Pilon:

Toradol, a brand name for ketorolac, is among a family of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Doctors put it in the same class as ibuprofen (like Advil) and Alevel. But unlike those drugs, Toradol can be injected, as well as taken orally, and can act more quickly. It is most commonly used in emergency rooms and post-operation wards to help patients manage short-term inflammation and pain, but athletes are turning to it to deal with inflammation and pain.

The use of Toradol, which is made by a number of drug manufacturers, was at the center of a lawsuit filed in December by a dozen retired N.F.L. players who said the league and its teams repeatedly and indiscriminately administered the drug before and during games, thus worsening injuries like concussions. (The league disputed the claims.) The suit claimed that the use of Toradol was rampant in the N.F.L., with players lining up in their locker rooms before games to receive injections, a process the players called a cattle call. According to the complaint, no warnings were given and there was “no distinguishing between different medical conditions of the players, and regardless of whether the player had an injury of any kind.”

TRIVIA: How many homers has Bay hit as a Met, through Friday?

Friday's answer: When Cole Hamels lost consecutive 1-0 starts to the Mets in August 2010, he opposed Santana and Dickey.

The trustee trying to recover funds on behalf of victims of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme filed his final paperwork Friday in U.S. District court related to the settlement of the lawsuit.

Essentially, Fred Wilpon and family agreed to repay $162 million in profits made in the six years before Madoff's arrest from certain funds. However, that amount will be reduced by money the Wilpons lost from other funds. The Wilpons will put in a claim for $178 million in losses, and should get a sizable percentage back from Picard like any other victim.

The settlement should be approved May 15.

Here's the press release from Irving Picard's camp:

Summary/highlights of the Settlement:

• The Settlement Agreement represents a good faith, complete and final settlement between the two parties. It is a practical and fair compromise of complex litigation issues and avoids a protracted and expensive trial and lengthy appeals. The settlement is in the best interests of the BLMIS Customer Fund and the BLMIS customers with allowed claims – who were defrauded by the Madoff Ponzi scheme – who will ultimately receive distributions of recovered monies from the Customer Fund.

• The Agreement enables the BLMIS Customer Fund to recoup six years (2002 through 2008) of fictitious profits of $162,000,000 and enables the SIPA Trustee to increase the fund of customer property (the Customer Fund) by $162 million.

• The settlement payment schedule – details of which are fully outlined in the Agreement – is structured to make the settlement fully collectable, and creates a way to work around the restrictive issues faced by the Defendants that include constricted cash flow and lender covenant issues. The Trustee believes that without a solution such as this settlement presents, he would not have been able to recover more for the BLMIS Customer Fund by litigating to the point of judgment.

• The Trustee’s financial due diligence confirmed the basis for the settlement and the representations made by the Katz et al. Defendants.

• The Defendants’ allowed claims of approximately $178 million (BLMIS accounts in which the Defendants had deposited more money than they had withdrawn – their “net loser” accounts) will be unconditionally assigned to the Trustee. Any payments against the allowed claims that the Defendants are assigning to the Trustee will reduce the amount owed by the Defendants and will be added to the Customer Fund. If the settlement has not been fully satisfied in three years, Katz et al. Defendants must each pay their respective remainder of the settlement amount. If any of the Defendants are unable to do so, Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon will be personally responsible for any shortfall up to $29 million.

• The Katz et al. Defendants agree to withdraw their petition for a writ of certiorari filed with the United States Supreme Court from the Second Circuit Net Equity Order and also agree not to pursue or join any other litigation involving the Trustee or SIPC arising out of or relating to the BLMIS liquidation. The termination of such litigation will help speed additional distributions to BLMIS customers with allowed claims.

A hearing for approval of the settlement before the District Court for the Southern District of New York has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at 4:00 p.m.

David Wright was fitted for a splint on his broken right pinkie finger on Wednesday, but Terry Collins said he wouldn’t be surprised if his third baseman is back in the lineup on Friday in Philadelphia.

“I think David’s gonna be fine,” the Mets manager said. “I would not be at all surprised one bit to write his name in the lineup on Friday; not one bit.”

Before the game, the Mets offered no further updates on Wright.

Wright suffered the injury diving back to first base on a pickoff throw on Monday night.

The Mets have not made a decision on whether to place Wright on the disabled list. They have off on Thursday.

Wright wanted to play on Tuesday, but Collins wasn’t having it.

“I said, ‘Look, I know you, and I know the way you play the game. And if there’s anybody that’s gonna aggravate this hand, it’s probably gonna be you,’” Collins told Wright.

• Collins said the reason he decided to put Lucas Duda in the No. 3 hole in the batting order Wednesday was to break up the left-handed hitters in his lineup.

Collins wanted to keep Ruben Tejada, Daniel Murphy, Ike Davis and Jason Bay in the No. 1, 2, 4 and 5 holes, and felt like Duda would be the best fit in between them.

• Davis has gone hitless in his first 16 at-bats this season. Collins said his power-hitting first baseman has been seeing some really tough pitching.

But on television, SNY analysts Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling have pointed out that Davis is flying open and pulling off the ball.

• The Mets played their first game in franchise history exactly 50 years ago Wednesday.

Roger Craig, New York’s starting pitcher in that game, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Mets-Nationals game this afternoon. He called the opportunity “an honor.”

On April 11, 1962, Craig took the loss as the Mets fell 11-4 to the Cardinals in St. Louis.

Craig gave up five earned runs on eight hits in three innings. He led the pitching staff with 10 wins and 233 1/3 innings pitched. He was also tied for the team lead that season in complete games (13) with Jay Hook.

The Mets went on to go 40-120 that season. Craig went 10-24 with a 4.51 ERA in 42 starts.

Craig is 82 years old now. He doesn’t remember much about that game, but said that season really made him appreciate winning.

Craig was a three-time World Series champion as a player (1955, 1959, 1964). He won the 1984 Fall Classic as a pitching coach with the Tigers (he managed for several years but never got a title) and later got a ring in 2001 when he was a consultant for the Diamondbacks.

The Mets have their third and final night game of spring training, as the Houston Astros visit Port St. Lucie today. Mike Pelfrey is due to start for the Mets and will attempt to trim an 11.49 Grapefruit League ERA.

Thursday's news reports:

• Chris Young reported to camp Wednesday, days after formally agreeing to a minor league deal. Young, who underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder on May 16, 2011, said he is just about ready to face hitters in a batting-practice setting. Terry Collins noted the Mets could use a six-man rotation once Young is ready for the majors, assuming the right-hander's shoulder continues to progress. A six-man rotation would be palatable because four of the five incumbent starters -- the exception being R.A. Dickey -- would probably be better served with extra rest between starts, the manager said. Of course, if the Mets have faded from the race, a rotation spot could be freed by trading Pelfrey. Young has June 1 and July 1 outs in his contract if he is not at the major league level on those dates. Watch video of Young speaking about his progress here. Read more in the Times, Star-Ledger, Newsday, Record, Daily News and Post.

• Appearing on WFAN, Sandy Alderson called what has transpired in spring training a "mixed bag." On the positive side, the GM identified the $162 million settlement in the Bernard Madoff lawsuit and the $240 million infusion from minority investment blocks as positives because those allow for more planning clarity. Johan Santana's health also has been a plus. Alderson expressed disappointment with the team's 6-16-2 Grapefruit League record because it is "some indicator" -- albeit modestly -- of in-season success. Alderson added: "I'm not entirely comfortable with our depth. As part of that, I'm not entirely comfortable with our bench."

On Jason Bay, Alderson noted Bay is the left fielder and will play, but added: "I don't think he has driven the ball. From our standpoint, he has had good approaches at the plate."

On Pelfrey, the GM noted, all of his spring training ERAs historically have been poor. "This one isn't even his worst," Alderson added. "The good thing is, last time out his velocity was up. So in some sense we look at Pelfrey and say -- look, this is the analysis we did last fall, when we had to tender him a contract: What does he bring to the table? We're not sure from a qualitative standpoint what he's going to bring this year, but we do know that he pitches through injury, he'll pitch through pain and probably give you 200 innings. What is that worth? ... He probably would be one of five in most rotations."

Alderson acknowledged middle infielder Jordany Valdespin -- who has been dabbling in center field -- is unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, which is consistent with what has been expected. The GM expects Valdespin will play "a number of positions" at Triple-A Buffalo, including limited center-field duty, a position where Kirk Nieuwenhuis should get the bulk of the starts for the Bisons.

Alderson said center field prospect Matt den Dekker is ready defensively to be a major league outfielder, but not offensively. The Mets would be comfortable with Nieuwenhuis starting at the major league level if Andres Torres (calf) and/or Scott Hairston (oblique) weren't ready.

As for catching, Alderson said Mike Nickeas has improved offensively.

The GM said 200 innings is "probably not" a realistic expectation for Santana. Alderson noted that it's unrealistic for Santana to throw 110 or 115 pitches in a game in April either, since the southpaw has topped out at 88 pitches in spring action, in his final Grapefruit League start.

Alderson expressed disappointment with the spring-training showings of his bullpen imports: Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch and Ramon Ramirez. The GM said the bullpen needs a stopper, and "nobody that we've brought in has really shown that this spring. Now, that doesn't mean it won't happen."

• Sports-marketing firm president Marc Ganis estimated the Mets are worth roughly $1.5 billion, if the Los Angeles Dodgers' sale price is $2 billion. Fred Wilpon has no intention to sell. The reason the Mets are worth less than the Dodgers is because L.A. is about to have open bidding for a huge local TV rights package, whereas the Mets are locked into SNY at a smaller right fee, which bulks up the network's profits at the expense of the team's profits/losses. Read more in Newsday.

• Jon Niese limited the Nationals to two runs in six innings and Hairston (oblique) and Bay (forearm) returned from injuries, but the Mets lost to Washington, 3-2, Wednesday afternoon at Digital Domain Park.

• Tim Byrdak may be too ambitious, but the left-handed reliever hopes to be in a minor league game Friday. Byrdak also aims to be on the Opening Day roster. The organization may be more cautious, in which case team sources indicate Daniel Herrera is likely to break camp with the team as a short-term plug as lefty specialist. (Alderson acknowledged that he doubted left-handed prospect Josh Edgin would open the season in the majors.) Mike Baxter, Miguel Batista and Nickeas also are expected to claim roster spots, with Batista's fate required to be confirmed by Friday. Collins said the entire roster should be all but set this weekend. Thursdays generally have been cut days, so the field in major league camp may be whittled somewhat today.

• Mike Kerwick profiles Baxter in the Record.

• Dickey sat down with ESPN's Jeremy Schaap to discuss his traumatic childhood. Watch the video here. Read a second excerpt from the knuckleballer's memoir in the Daily News.

• Lucas Duda should bat sixth in the season-opening series. That's because of the need to separate lefty hitters Ike Davis and Duda, considering the quality of the Braves' left-handed relief. However, Duda should be moving up from No. 6 to a higher slot by the second series, against the Nats, who do not possess the same caliber of left-handed relief.

• Buffalo and Binghamton won minor league games Wednesday, behind two-run homers from Matt Tuiasosopo and Travis Ozga. Read the full minor league recap here. Earlier in the day, the Mets released from minor league camp outfielder Javier Rodriguez and right-handers Michael Hebert and Michael Powers.

• Santana is slated to pitch in a simulated game Saturday rather than a Grapefruit League contest, in his final tuneup for Opening Day on April 5 against the Braves at Citi Field. Read more in the Star-Ledger.

• Nationals manager Davey Johnson wondered to Mike Puma in the Post why David Wright doesn't yet have an extension on top of the third baseman's current contract. The Nats locked up Ryan Zimmerman long term. Wright is under the Mets' control through 2013 because of a team option. "What’s David Wright’s future?” Johnson asked Puma rhetorically. “Did they extend him or what are they doing?” Zimmerman, a friend of Wright's since their days growing up in Norfolk, Va., said: “They gave him an opportunity, and anytime you’re a loyal person like he is, anyone who gives you an opportunity to come up and treats you well, obviously you would like to be here. He’s a guy that works his butt off and plays the game the right way. Anytime you find players like that, I don’t want to say it’s rare, but he’s a special kind of player. He’s a good player and an even better person. David has worked his butt off and done a lot of things for the Mets and hopefully it will work out."

• Mike Sielski and Brian Costa in the Journal give a position-by-position breakdown of the Mets.

• Costa notes that for the Mets' trio of up-and-coming pitchers -- Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia -- to avoid a repeat of their Generation K predecessors that never matched the hype, the young pitchers must avoid serious injuries. Writes Costa in the Journal:

Today, when a Mets pitcher begins his professional career, team officials put him on a multi-year plan to gradually increase his workload. The innings limits for Wheeler, Harvey and Familia are not etched in stone, but [Paul] DePodesta said, "You're not going to see a 50- or 60-inning jump from any of those guys." The Mets also limit minor-league pitchers to 330 pitches per three starts. It's a giant leap from the days of "Generation K." But after a decade of innings limits and pitch counts, teams have learned something else, too: It's not enough.

TRIVIA: Who is the only major league pitcher to have more strikeouts than Santana from 2004 to the present?

Wednesday's answer: Pelfrey was born at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

Fred Wilpon served on a committee that screened prospective Los Angeles Dodgers owners. So Wilpon said he could not discuss the yet-to-be-officially completed $2 billion sale of the West Coast ballclub.

Still, when asked Wednesday afternoon about the impact of the Dodgers’ impending sale on the value of Major League Baseball franchises including his Mets, Wilpon said: “I’m smiling, aren’t I?”

A week after Forbes valued the Mets at $719 million, sports business consultant Marc Ganis estimated Wednesday that the organization actually is worth more than double that amount in light of the Dodgers’ price tag.

The Yankees? They’re likely worth as much as $4 billion, according to Ganis, president of Chicago-based sports marketing company SportsCorp.

“Let me tell you, if the Dodgers are worth $2 billion, the Yankees are worth $3.5 to $4 billion,” Ganis said. “The Red Sox are worth $2.5 billion. And the Mets go from being worth, say, in the low $1 (billion)s to the mid- to high-$1 (billion)s.”

That does not mean all Major League Baseball teams will see a sizable jump in value because of the impending deal for the Dodgers.

“This only relates to the top, top of the food chain,” Ganis said. “It only relates to the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Cubs, the Mets. That may be it. Maybe there is some relevance to a lesser degree to the Giants and the Padres. But no one should expect this has any meaningful impact on the Pittsburgh Pirates or Kansas City Royals or the Cleveland Indians. It’s really just the big-market clubs that have unique local broadcasting opportunities.”

Part of the reason the Mets are worth a fraction of the other big-market clubs is that they own their television network, SportsNet New York, and are essentially locked into that arrangement. The Dodgers, on the other hand, can freely solicit open bids for when their local TV package, which is up after the 2013 season, Ganis explained.

(Read full post)

Jon Niese takes the mound as the Washington Nationals visit Port St. Lucie to face the Mets this afternoon. Jordan Zimmermann is listed as Niese's opponent.

Wednesday's news reports:

• In a memoir that will hit bookstores Thursday entitled "Wherever I Wind Up," R.A. Dickey writes that he was the victim of sexual abuse by two different perpetrators during the summer when he was 8 years old. Dickey also writes that he considered suicide in 2006. And he discusses finding a syringe in the Texas Rangers clubhouse in 2001. There are lighter and more contemporary moments too, such as breaking into a football field last spring training so Mike Pelfrey could attempt 50-yard field goals. Listen to Dickey discuss the most sensitive topics in this podcast of a Tuesday afternoon clubhouse interview. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Daily News, Times, Record, Post, Journal and Newsday.

• Sources tell ESPNNewYork.com that there is far more clarity among Opening Day roster spots. Mike Baxter is expected to beat out Adam Loewen for the lefty-hitting backup outfielder role. Mike Nickeas should be Josh Thole's backup catcher, sending Rob Johnson and Lucas May to Triple-A Buffalo alongside Loewen. And with Tim Byrdak's recovery from knee surgery being so rapid -- he is due to begin throwing off a mound today and may only miss the first four games of the season -- the Mets appear poised to put Daniel Herrera in the Opening Day bullpen as the lone southpaw. The logic is that the spot will be so short term, it might as well be someone expendable rather than a player who might get claimed off waivers or otherwise lost when Byrdak is ready. Garrett Olson is expected to work in Buffalo's rotation, very likely with Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia. And left-handed prospect Josh Edgin can get more minor league seasoning. Edgin presumably would be a fit for Double-A Binghamton, after excelling at two Class A levels last season. Read more in the Daily News.

• NBA great Magic Johnson and former Nationals and Braves president Stan Kasten have the winning bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers -- a whopping $2 billion. The relevance to the Mets: Steven Cohen, one of the three finalists, already had purchased a 4 percent share of the Mets for $20 million. Now, Cohen will not have to put that Mets stake up for sale. Meanwhile, the value of the Dodgers would appear to be good news for Fred Wilpon and family, since it suggests all MLB teams are worth even more staggering amounts. The more the team is worth, the lower the percentage of the existing debt. That, at least in an academic sense, should make it easier to borrow -- or at least make banks more patient -- since the lending institutions know there is plenty of collateral. Still, the Dodgers' price tag is not a complete apples-to-apples comparison. The sale includes some parking lots around the stadium, and the local broadcasting rights reportedly can be peddled for the 2014 season, whereas the Mets have a long-term relationship with Wilpon-owned SportsNet New York. Still, the Dodgers sale will shatter the U.S. pro sports (Miami Dolphins, $1.1 billion, 2009) and MLB (Chicago Cubs, $845 million, 2009) sale-price records.

• Lucas Duda delivered his fourth Grapefruit League homer -- and another to the opposite field -- but Freddie Freeman went deep twice off Mets relievers and the Braves beat the Mets, 7-5, on Tuesday at Digital Domain Park. David Wright played for second straight day. He is due to be off Wednesday, then play consecutive games Thursday night and Friday afternoon. Watch video highlights from Tuesday's game here. Read more in the Post, Record and Newsday.

• Scott Hairston had four plate appearances in a minor league game Tuesday and manned an inning in center field. Hairston expects to be in his first Grapefruit League game Wednesday, with a strained left oblique perhaps behind him and Opening Day realistic. Jason Bay, who was struck Sunday in the right forearm with a fastball from Washington's Stephen Strasburg, also plans to be in the lineup today. Terry Collins expressed optimism Andres Torres was making strides a week after straining his left calf muscle. Hairston would be the righty-hitting outfielder for the bench or starting center fielder, depending on Torres' readiness. Righty-hitting Vinny Rottino seemingly could slip onto the Opening Day roster if Torres weren't ready.

• Josh Satin intends to play for Israel in the World Baseball Classic qualifying round in November in Jupiter, Fla. Former major league catcher Brad Ausmus placed a call to Satin to invite him to participate. One team from that qualifying pool of Israel, France, South Africa and Spain will advance to the WBC during 2013 spring training. Ausmus also planned to place a call to Ike Davis to invite him. Satin is Jewish, and Davis' mother was raised in that religion. Ex-Mets outfielder Shawn Green as well as Gabe Kapler also are recruiting for the Israeli entry.

• Former Long Islander Bob Kolb has loaned a ticket from the first Mets home game in 1962 to the organization. The ticket will be on display at the museum at Citi Field during the club's 50th anniversary season this year, then returned to Kolb.

• Johan Santana told ESPNNewYork.com he will not face the Marlins in his final Grapefruit League tuneup Saturday. The ace thought a minor league game probably would be the assignment, but said he still needed to discuss the organization's plan with pitching coach Dan Warthen. Andy McCullough writes in the Star-Ledger that Santana could simply throw a simulated game in preparation for Opening Day against the Braves at Citi Field next Thursday afternoon.

TRIVIA: Which Met was born on an Air Force base?

Tuesday's answer: Daniel Murphy hit a game-tying pinch-hit homer last April 27 against Tyler Clippard en route to a 6-3 win at Nationals Park.

The Mets send Jon Niese to the mound at Disney this afternoon against Atlanta left-hander Mike Minor. It will be a timely visit, since notorious Mets killer Chipper Jones announced Thursday his intention to retire after the season. Also scheduled to pitch for the Mets: Miguel Batista, Josh Edgin and Daniel Herrera.

Friday's news reports:

• Jones, an all-time nemesis, has a career .318 average, 48 homers and 154 RBIs in 812 at-bats against the Mets. David Wright was among the members of the MLB community offering praise in light of Jones' announcement. "He was kind of the model of consistency and the guy they kind of built that team around," Wright said.

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick recalls how Jones became the first overall pick by the Braves in the 1990 draft. Writes Crasnick:

Jones' legacy is special, of course, because he symbolizes something so rare these days -- the All-American kid who found a home with a franchise and never left. He grew up in Pierson, Fla., the "Fern Capital of the World," and was deemed a can't-miss prospect at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, but the Braves didn't decide to draft him first overall until high school pitcher Todd Van Poppel told them he was determined to attend the University of Texas. [Bobby] Cox, Atlanta's general manager in 1990, traveled to Jacksonville to watch Jones play. In those days, Cox told scouting director Paul Snyder to refrain from identifying which prospect they were looking at during pregame stretching, because it might color his perception from the outset. So Snyder remained silent, Cox scanned the line, and it took him about 10 seconds to pick out the phenom in question.

As for the reaction when Jones travels to New York during his farewell tour, the answer seems a no-brainer. Mets fans nearly universally respect his contribution to the rivalry. As ESPNNewYork.com blog commenter FireWilpon aptly wrote: "I hate him, but I'm going to miss hating him." The Braves visit Citi Field for Opening Day on April 5.

Writes Mike Puma in the Post:

“I think of the years of our battles, when the Mets became legitimate during that period of time,” [Al] Leiter said. “The excitement of when the Braves came in ... and the ‘Larry’ chants, it was kind of fun. The guy enjoyed it. Initially you thought, maybe he didn’t like it, but he named his kid Shea.” Leiter remembers facing Jones in a tight game in the 1990s at Turner Field and throwing what he thought was the perfect pitch — a changeup he didn’t often use -- only to watch Jones “flick it” for a two-run double. “I remember him sliding into second base,” Leiter said. “It was a big moment, the middle of the game, tight game, and I looked at him, ‘Are you [bleeping] kidding me? Really? You were looking for a changeup?’ And he looked at me like, ‘I don’t know.’ ”

Read more in the Journal, Daily News and Times.

• The Mets reassigned Chuck James to minor league camp after Thursday's game, leaving three left-handed relievers -- Garrett Olson, Edgin and Herrera -- in major league camp to keep Tim Byrdak's spot warm. Olson appears the frontrunner, with Edgin the most intriguing because he has not yet pitched above Class A St. Lucie. Byrdak, who underwent March 13 surgery to repair torn meniscus cartilage in his left knee, expects to begin tossing a baseball today and may miss no more than a week or two of the regular season. The Mets now have 39 players in major league camp.

• R.A. Dickey took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and the Mets beat the Houston Astros, 8-2, Thursday at Digital Domain Park.

• Wright took batting practice with teammates Thursday for the first time since being shut down with an abdominal tear and receiving a cortisone shot in New York. Wright said he came through the session fine. Terry Collins expects Wright will repeat that routine through the weekend and play in a game for the first time on Monday or thereabout. Read more in the Times, Star-Ledger, Daily News, Post, Record, Journal and Newsday.

• Perhaps the Mets will not need left fielder Jason Bay or middle infielder Jordany Valdespin in center field when all is said and done. Andres Torres reported that the left calf strain he suffered Tuesday does not seem severe. Meanwhile, Scott Hairston (left oblique strain) took dry swings for the first time Thursday. Hairston expected to advance to hitting in a cage Friday for the first time -- starting with flips and underhand-tossed balls. Valdespin, who had one game of experience in the outfield in his career, played the final two innings of Thursday's Grapefruit League game in center field. Collins said Valdespin should play in Friday's game in center field as well, although not as the starter there. The manager added that if the Mets' center-field situation stabilizes, with Torres and/or Hairston regaining their health, Valdespin would solely play infield at Triple-A Buffalo and not dabble in the outfield. The logic is that a part-time position change could hamper Valdespin's success at the plate by overwhelming him. Read more on Valdespin in the Record.

Matt den Dekker, already dispatched to minor league camp, was borrowed and started in center field Thursday. He's also on the trip for Friday's game against the Braves. Still, a ton of dominoes likely would have to fall for den Dekker to be an actual consideration for the Opening Day roster. He has only played a half-season at Double-A, and struck out a combined 156 times in 539 at-bats between Binghamton and Class A St. Lucie last season.

Den Dekker is a fifth-round pick in 2010 out of the University of Florida, where he attended classes with Tim Tebow, notes Anthony Rieber in Newsday. "I like Tebow, but I don't like getting caught up in so much Tebowmania," den Dekker told Rieber. "Plus, I'm a Dolphins fan, too. I was kind of hoping Peyton Manning would go to the Dolphins."

• Critic Phil Mushnick in the Post isn't impressed with Fred Wilpon and family's court settlement being labeled a victory, even though the $162 million settlement can be offset by losses from other funds, meaning the Wilpons may part with only a fraction of that amount -- and not for at least four years. Mushnick makes reference to a previous Ponzi scheme, Bayou, in which Sterling Stamos, the Wilpons' hedge fund company, became entangled years earlier, resulting in a multimillion dollar payback settlement. Writes Mushnick:

By the way, how many Ponzi schemes does one have to be part of -- sink hundreds of millions into, no questions asked -- before one confesses that his sense of big-time investing at least leans toward the too-good-to-be-true, toward the crooked? Is it three? Four? How many Ponzis does one fund before he chooses to take a shower -- before he’s forced to take a bath? A or B? A: “I gave Bernie Madoff all my money, but I don’t know how he did it; I never asked.” B: “I gave him all my money and I agreed not to ask, thus I agreed not to know.” Either way, Wilpon and Saul Katz allowed their business to become none of their business? Forgive those of us who just can’t believe that.

• Left-hander Mark Cohoon tossed five no-hit innings as Binghamton beat the Marlins' Double-A affiliate, 14-5, Thursday. Read the full minor league recap here.

• Richard Sandomir in the Times notes that the value of the Mets franchise has tumbled in recent years in Forbes' calculations. The organization is now worth $719 million, according to the magazine, which previously valued the Mets at $912 million in 2009, $858 million in 2010 and $747 million last year. The Mets annually dispute Forbes' calculations.

• Steven Cohen is the frontrunner to have the winning bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bill Madden reports in the Daily News. A successful acquisition would require him to sell his just-purchased $20 million share of the Mets. Of the $240 million infused into the Mets, Cohen's contribution represents 20 percent of the $100 million in "new money," according to the Times; $140 million was infused by the Wilpons as well as SNY partners Time Warner and Comcast, the newspaper reported.

• Andy McCullough in the Star-Ledger notes that many Mets pitchers use visualization -- seeing an outcome in your mind you want to happen in the future -- as a way to find success. Writes McCullough regarding Dillon Gee using the practice:

Gee experienced success with the concept as a teenager growing up in Fort Worth, Texas. One winter a friend invited him to go snowboarding. The only other time Gee had tried was disastrous. “How am I going to learn how to snowboard in Texas?” he wondered. So to avoid further embarrassment, he said, every time he took a shower he imagined himself traversing the slopes. “And I swear to God,” Gee said, “the next time I went, I wasn’t awesome, but I was 10 times better.”

TRIVIA: Who was the last Met to finish in the top five in National League MVP balloting?

Thursday's answer: Vinny Rottino represented Italy in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Valentino Pascucci also was on that team, which had Mike Piazza as a coach. Pascucci already has been dispatched to Mets minor league camp.

Fred Wilpon was accompanied by brother-in-law Saul Katz as well as Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax in the stands behind home plate to watch Thursday afternoon's game against the Houston Astros at Digital Domain Park.

Koufax had been prepared to testify on behalf of his former high school teammate had the clawback lawsuit against Wilpon not been settled.

R.A. Dickey is scheduled to start for the Mets this afternoon against the Astros, followed by Fernando Cabrera, Jon Rauch, Chris Schwinden and Frank Francisco. Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers as well as Rhiner Cruz, the hard-throwing Rule 5 pick from the Mets, are due to pitch for Houston. Cruz, 25, has a 19.29 ERA in four Grapefruit League appearances in Astros camp and may be returned to the Mets before Opening Day, although he is coming off a scoreless inning against the Miami Marlins.

Thursdays, by the day, typically are cut days from major league camp. And Ike Davis celebrates his 25th birthday.

Thursday's news reports:

• Johan Santana took a scoreless effort into the sixth inning Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals and continued to suggest he will be ready to take the ball Opening Day at Citi Field, on April 5 against the Atlanta Braves. A scout said Santana was sitting at 88 mph with his fastball. Still, that proved enough. David Freese twice struck out on pitches -- one a slider, the other a changeup -- that prompted him to lose his bat into foul territory down the third-base line. "He's not throwing 95, but he's a guy who knows how to pitch," Freese told Anthony Rieber in Newsday. "When he makes pitches, he's going to be effective and he's going to win games for sure." Watch video of Santana discussing his 69-pitch outing here. Read more in the Star-Ledger, Daily News, Post and Times.

• Forbes valued the Mets at $719 million, a 4 percent decline from the previous year. Mets officials annually dispute the accuracy of the rankings.

• Top prospect Zack Wheeler suffered a sprained left ankle climbing stairs Sunday, a team official said. Wheeler minimized the injury, but he will miss a minor league start. Read more in Newsday.

• Convicted swindler Bernard Madoff expressed disappointment to author Diane Henriques that one-time close friend Fred Wilpon settled the lawsuit brought against the Mets owner by trustee Irving Picard.

• Jordany Valdespin had a ninth-inning homer to tie the game, but left-hander Garrett Olson allowed a runner inherited on third from Miguel Batista to score the following half-inning and the Mets lost to the Cardinals, 2-1.

• Richard Sandomir and Ken Belson in the Times report that the 12 minority shares totaling $240 million that were infused into the Mets came from a handful of sources. The newspaper reported that in addition to a $25 million repayment to Major League Baseball and $40 million repayment to satisfy a bridge loan from Bank of America, $75 million of the infusion was used to pay down other bank debt that had totaled about $400 million. Write Sandomir and Belson:

Ultimately, the Mets’ owners bought three of those shares -- the first two, Wilpon said recently, and a third more recently -- and Time Warner Cable and Comcast, who are partners in SNY, bought two shares each to help the team steady its finances. In exchange, they extended certain elements of their network deals. Another share was bought by Robert W. Pittman and Kenneth B. Lerer, two media moguls. A ninth share was purchased by the hedge-fund billionaire Steven A. Cohen, who is in the midst of trying to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers. If he succeeds, he will have to sell his stake in the Mets. The identities of the remaining three new shareholders are not publicly known.

• Will this week's financial resolutions prompt the Mets to spend freely next offseason and beyond? Sandy Alderson was not making any such prediction when he spoke Tuesday. The GM merely said it would more so allow for the possibility to pursue a desired free agent. David Wright told Mark Cannizzaro in the Post: “What we have is what we’ve got, and that’s what we need not be worried about, not what could happen. Time will tell as far as that goes. There’s no sense in worrying about who’s not here and what could have been or what might happen. These are the guys we have and we need to make this work.’’

• Mike Puma in the Post reports Mike Pelfrey has dealt with a high-ankle sprain for much of camp. Pitching coach Dan Warthen suggested to Puma that the ankle was a significant reason why Pelfrey pitched out of the stretch exclusively in his first Grapefruit League start -- and why his velocity was hovering around 87 mph until the right-hander aired it out and gave up eight runs in his most recent start, against the Houston Astros. “The ankle sprain is why he was out of the stretch all this time and the velocity was what it was,” Warthen said. “This was the best he felt, over against Houston.” Said Pelfrey: "It's not bad."

TRIVIA: Which player currently in Mets major league camp represented Italy in the most-recent World Baseball Classic?

Wednesday's answer: Adam Loewen is the earliest-selected draft pick in Mets camp. He was taken fourth overall, as a pitcher by the Baltimore Orioles, in 2002 out of Fraser Valley Christian High School in British Columbia.

Diane Henriques, author of the Bernard Madoff book "The Wizard of Lies," told CBS News that Madoff was "desperately disappointed" that one-time good friend Fred Wilpon did not take the lawsuit against him to trial.

The Wilpons settled for $162 million, but will never have to pay a figure close to that sum.

"He wrote me last weekend that he was so looking forward to that trial," Henriques told the network. "He was hoping that the Mets' defense would make the case he was making to me that they had no reason to doubt Madoff."

Henriques said an email from Madoff to her called trustee Irving Picard, the man who sued Wilpon on behalf of net losers in the Ponzi scheme, derogatory terms.

"He calls Picard a fool, an amateur, says he doesn't understand the market, says he never understood the market, that he's just lost on Wall Street," Henriques told CBS.