Lost season disappoints Mets' Davis

Ike Davis is coping with what's becoming more of a reality: that an injury first thought to be minor, likely has ended his promising sophomore season and could affect his 2012.

"It's disappointing for the fact I want to play," Davis said Saturday, a day after the Mets announced their first baseman's injured left ankle would likely cost him the remainder of this season. "I never imagined it being like this. I couldn't tell that inside my ankle, a little dent or whatever, would cause this much of a problem."

I was on pace for maybe 30-something homers . . . But that's kind of life. You can't hang your head over it too much. I've got to move on, try to get healthy and be ready to play next year."

Being ready to play next year, at this point, isn't a certainty. Davis suffered a bone bruise in seemingly innocuous infield collision with David Wright on May 10. The injury wasn't first thought to be severe, but the recovery has been unexpectedly slow and setbacks have brought into the conversation the possibility of microfracture surgery.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson said Friday that doctors are confident Davis would recover from the surgery in time for spring training but warned "the ankle is a complicated part of the anatomy."

Davis, who appeared at a Pathmark in Whitestone to promote Pepsi MAX's Field of Dreams Program, reiterated: "I'm trying to not have that surgery."

He was examined by two foot specialists Friday and is scheduled to see another on Tuesday. The plan now is to rest, avoid baseball activities and get another evaluation in September.

Davis, 24, said his current workout regimen consists of "a lot of upper body stuff. I can go on the bike because it's not much pounding on my ankle, and I can do a little walking, but that's about it."

He said there isn't yet a deadline for when the surgery-or-not decision will have to be made.

Should the doctors determine there's a need for the operation, Davis said he would "probably reach out" to some of the local athletes who have returned successfully from microfracture procedures. Knicks power forward Amare' Stoudemire, in 2005, and Giants safety Kenny Phillips, in 2009, each underwent the knee surgery and played full seasons the following year. "I'd try to see what they did and what they would do differently," Davis said.

One positive that can be extracted, Davis said, is the performance of some of the Mets' role players in his absence. Daniel Murphy, for one, has filled in at first base and is batting .319 with 48 RBIs. "It's good to see a lot of the young guys stepping up," Davis said. "They're contributing and letting everyone know that we have people who can play."

For himself, though: "Next year I'm going to have to do the same things I was going to do this year," said Davis, who hit .302 (.383 on-base) with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 36 games. "I didn't get enough repetitions to know if I need to make any changes I want to start off the way I started this year."