Teams have very different shortstop issues

Another beautiful, eventful day at Citi Field, and we're left with these dilemmas from our local clubs:

The Mets might need a shortstop. The Yankees might have one too many.

Jose Reyes left Saturday's game after two innings and Derek Jeter played a rehabilitation game down in Trenton. Which left Eduardo Nuñez as the last man standing, the best remaining shortstop in town, as the Yankees prevailed once again in the Subway Series, 5-2.

The Mets (41-42), now back under .500 thanks to their third straight loss, are facing a potential tipping point to their surprisingly pleasant season. Reyes departed with what he described as tightness in his left hamstring, suffered while he ran to first base on a first-inning infield single.

An MRI Sunday will paint a clearer picture for the Mets, who appreciate how devastating a prolonged Reyes absence would be for their club.

"It changes the look of the team for sure, no question," Terry Collins said. "We've got to find somebody to step in his role, step in his place. We don't expect him to do what he does.

"We expect whoever it's going to be to catch the ball. And we expect whoever's at the top of the lineup to get on base."

That would be Ruben Tejada at shortstop and Angel Pagan at the leadoff spot. Neither embarrasses himself or the team in any regard. But neither one is Reyes.

If you're looking for positive Reyes indications, there's the fact that he seemed quite relaxed about the whole situation after the game. As my Newsday teammate David Lennon pointed out, Reyes usually is far more sullen if he's really worried about his health.

Carlos Beltran's testimony -- "I think he's going to be fine" -- also should soothe Mets fans.

Really, Reyes would suffer as much as the Mets do with an extended disabled-list stay. As he said, "It's no doubt I have to be careful with that, because I've had some leg problems in the past," which won't exactly relax potential free-agency suitors.

Meanwhile, why should the Yankees bid on Reyes this coming winter? Forget about the aging Jeter, who's expected back Monday in Cleveland. Nuñez, 24, looks like a Reyes in the making. He doubled twice and homered, and his only out came when Mets second baseman Justin Turner dived to his right to snare a line drive, robbing Nuñez of another hit. In this series, Nuñez is 7-for-8 with four extra-base hits.

Playing every day, as he has during Jeter's stay on the disabled list, helps. "I feel better when I play every day," Nuñez said. "You can feel like, 'Tomorrow is a new day.' When Jeter comes back, I have to make adjustments."

Joe Girardi chuckled at a reporter's question about whether the Yankees are better with Nuñez than Jeter.

Said Girardi: "Nuney has played well. But Derek's our shortstop. He's been the shortstop for a long, long time and has been a great player. He's still a great player. And we're looking forward to getting him back.

" . . . Derek is the guy that always has been there for us. And he'll continue to be there for us."

Eh. The Yankees are 14-3 in Jeter's absence, and although you can credit only a tiny fraction of that to Nuñez, there's no disputing the Yankees will be worse off if Girardi makes the mistake -- which he appears intent on doing -- of returning Jeter to the leadoff slot instead of using Nick Swisher or Brett Gardner. And if Girardi plays Nuñez too much at Jeter's expense, the manager will be dealing with an unhappy captain.

Ultimately, it's all perspective. Collins wishes he had Girardi's dilemma. Girardi, who vowed to get Nuñez more starts, has a headache coming up Monday. Collins and the Mets, however, face a potential heartbreaker Sunday.