Jacobs hopes to make powerful statement

Mike Jacobs has been crushing the ball in batting practice this week and hit some very loud foul home runs in Wednesday's game against the Marlins.

"That's not a good sign," Jacobs said before last night's series finale.

He was joking. It actually is a good sign when the lefthanded slugger is nearly slugging, even if it didn't count or wasn't fair.

"I think it means I'm close," Jacobs said.

Jacobs, the Mets' cleanup hitter against righthanders for the season's first two games, did not start last night against Florida lefthander Nate Robertson. He was 1-for-9 in the first two games batting between David Wright and Jason Bay.

"There's definitely protection," Jacobs said. "It's going to definitely help me. All in all, it's a good place to be hitting in our lineup."

Whether Jacobs should be there instead of Bay is a minor debate around the Mets. Manager Jerry Manuel said he's going to stick with Jacobs in the cleanup spot against righthanders for the time being. "I like a lineup that can go left-right, left-right, left-right," Manuel sald. "I think it creates some issues for the opposing pitcher as well as the opposing manager." But he added, "That could change."

As the replacement for Daniel Murphy, who is recovering from a knee injury, Jacobs hopes to show enough that it doesn't change. Five years after his debut with the Mets, Jacobs also is trying to be more than a low-average, high-strikeout, prodigious-power, questionable-glove first baseman.

"We had him here as a young player," Manuel said. "We thought that he was going to be a good major-league hitter. We still feel that way."

Reyes close

Jose Reyes went 0-for-4 and played all nine innings in what the Mets hope will be his final rehab game for St. Lucie in a Florida State League game last night. If all went well physically, his next appearance will be in the big-league lineup Saturday, when he is eligible to come off the disabled list.