Mets send Davis back to NY for diagnosis

DENVER -- As the Mets hustled Wednesday morning to find a downtown hotel to prolong their stay here, Ike Davis headed back to New York, where the team's medical staff was scheduled to examine his left leg.

The Mets don't expect an update until Thursday, but Davis suffered what they described as a strained left calf in a collision with David Wright in the fourth inning of Tuesday night's 4-3 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field. The first baseman got his legs tangled up with Wright's as the two converged on a pop-up in front of the mound, and Davis crumpled to the ground as Wright made the catch.

"I didn't know what it was because at the time there was a lot of pain everywhere," Davis said late Tuesday night. "But it's more like the back side of my lower leg."

Davis seemed somewhat confused about what had happened to him, even after the team announced the initial diagnosis. He was in a protective boot shortly after the game, and he said the injury felt like an ankle sprain or a strained Achilles tendon.

Davis said he had difficulty pushing down on his left foot because of the pain in the back of his lower leg. He finished the fourth inning in the field but knew he had no choice but to come out of the game.

"Until I can actually move around and not feel like I'm going to be a detriment," Davis said, "I can't play."

The Mets refused to speculate on how long Davis could be out, but Terry Collins did say he was "hurting bad" Tuesday night. Despite Davis' optimism about the possibility of playing soon, the Mets took a more conservative approach and sent him to New York to get an MRI.

Wednesday's game was postponed shortly after 9 a.m. local time and immediately was rescheduled for this afternoon. That allowed Davis to depart for New York with a potentially quick turnaround to rejoin the Mets in Houston this weekend.

Even if the injury is only a calf strain, that still could land Davis on the 15-day disabled list. General manager Sandy Alderson has not hesitated to put players on the DL this season -- as opposed to the indecision by the front office in recent years -- and that could result in the Mets' being cautious with Davis.

If so, his absence would leave a huge hole in a lineup that has too many underperforming pieces. Davis, Jose Reyes and David Wright are the only Mets to start every game, and Davis leads the team in home runs (seven), RBIs (25) and on-base percentage (.383). He also was hitting .333 (13-for-39) with runners in scoring position after a two-run single in the first inning Tuesday.

Despite the loss of Davis, Collins intended to follow through on giving Wright the series finale off Wednesday. That was the plan before the postponement, however. Collins was not available to the media Wednesday.

With Wright bothered by a sore back and surprisingly agreeable to the idea of a two-day break, it's unlikely Collins will change his mind. Minus Wright, Collins would use Justin Turner at third base, Daniel Murphy at first and Chin-lung Hu or Willie Harris at second.

"I truly believe we've got to use everybody on this club to get by," Collins said Tuesday. "David Wright needs a break, so I'm going to give him one."