Chris Young, who underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his right shoulder last May 16 -- the same day as Jenrry Mejia's Tommy John surgery -- is progressing quickly to this point. Terry Collins said Young is already throwing on flat ground at 180 feet and currently projects to be ready at the end of May.

There's no assurance Young will make continued progress. After all, this is the intensive surgery Johan Santana underwent on Sept. 14, 2010. But the Mets remain interested in eventually signing the free-agent Young to a minor league deal.

Other Wednesday tidbits:

• The weekly team-building bowling outings the Mets had during camp last year will return this spring training, according to Collins. Collins already has bowled with new bench coach Bob Geren, who is quite formidable. Geren averaged 195 (and brought two of his own bowling balls) during the outing with Collins, while the skipper averaged only 115.

The quartet of Jason Isringhausen, Ike Davis, Josh Thole and Zach Lutz won last year's bowling competition.

• Left-hander Steve Matz, the Mets' top pick in the 2009 draft (second round/72nd overall) out of Ward Melville High School on Long Island, has yet to appear in an official game because of slow rehab last year from May 18, 2010 Tommy John surgery. (He logged six innings in the instructional league last May.) But that injury and recovery finally appears in the past.

Matz, who will turn 21 this May, threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Tuesday in Port St. Lucie -- his first session since being shut down during his surgery rehab late last year. Matz's 2011 return had been halted after micro-sized muscle tears in the left elbow area were discovered. That was unalarming, and the Tommy John repair itself was intact.

Matz said the time has not been wasted -- that former rehab coordinator Randy Niemann taught him a lot about pitching while he spent last year at the complex. "It's not just rehab," Matz said.

• Mets PR man Jay Horwitz, who broke an ankle late last season, is at spring training and walking without aid.

• Bobby Parnell got married in November.