Jason Bay Will Return To The Starting Lineup After Injury

New York Mets manager Terry Collins says that Jason Bay will “absolutely” be a starter when he returns from the disabled list, according to the New York Daily News.

“Absolutely,” Collins said. “He didn’t come here to be an extra player.”

“We’re still looking at, probably, 10 days or two weeks (until Bay returns),” Collins said. “So many things might happen. When it gets close to the date, I’ll start to take a look at what our situation might be. But right now, I just want to get him back. He’s still a big part of this. I think you see, when we face lefthanded pitching, what a big hole we have in the middle of our lineup without him.”

Bay has not played since April 24 due to a fractured left rib. The veteran outfielder was hitting just .240/.316/.460 prior to being placed on the disabled list.