Oblique pain forces Reyes to shorten hitting session

Jose Reyes took only a half-dozen swings in the batting cage Sunday. That was more than enough to know he's not close to being ready to return to action.

"It only took two [swings]. It's still there," Reyes said of the pain from a strained oblique muscle that forced him out of Thursday's game and still has Reyes sidelined indefinitely.

After two days of rest, Reyes planned to swing a bat from both sides of the plate in the cage to test the injury. He did try to swing both lefthanded and righthanded, but that plan was shortened considerably by pain.

"I don't want to do too much," said Reyes, who aggravated the injury on a lefthanded single in the second inning against the Marlins on Thursday. "Righthanded is better, but it's still sore, too. So we back off a little bit."

That means another day off Monday in Atlanta, where the Mets begin a 10-day road trip, and possibly a trip back to the cage Tuesday. From there, it would be full batting practice and then a game, but no one seems to know when that could be.

"Something's there for sure," he said. "We just have to check every day and see."

Luis Hernandez made his Mets debut at shortstop and went 1-for-4.

Jerry Manuel said Hernandez, who was recalled Friday, started in order to give Ruben Tejada (3-for-41 slump) a day off.

Bay progressing slowly

Jason Bay said he's continuing to ride a stationary bike as his only activity since suffering a concussion July 23.

Bay was cleared to resume physical activity Friday. "There's really not much happening; just trying to keep progressing," he said.