Pagan finds himself bouncing around Mets order

Angel Pagan let out an exasperated sigh, then smiled when reminded of how often he was bounced around the Mets' lineup last season.

"Pretty much the whole year, I was going from first to second to third, fifth, sixth, seventh and even eighth," the centerfielder said. "It's a lot of adjustment you have to make because in every different position in the lineup, they pitch you differently.

"So it's a little stressful, but it's doable. I did it, I did it well and I'm willing to do it again if I have to."

This year he finds himself out of his comfort zone again -- this time in the No. 6 spot -- a direct result of Jason Bay's absence and his own slow start at the plate. But the always affable Pagan, who is just 7-for-39 (.179) to start the season, told manager Terry Collins he's fine wherever he is in the lineup.

"He said 'I've spent my whole career bouncing through the lineup I don't mind,' " Collins said. "I said, 'Yeah, but last year you were in the top of that lineup and you had your best year ever.' "

Pagan batted .290 last season, but hit .312 in the No. 2 spot in 54 games. He also hit .333 in 16 games as the No. 6 hitter.

Collins said he wants his centerfielder to be comfortable at the plate, but with only four bench players and plenty of lefthanded hitters, the manager doesn't have much choice. Because Pagan can provide some protection for his 3-4-5 guys (Carlos Beltran, David Wright and Ike Davis), Collins believes the sixth hole is the right fit for now. When Bay returns, however, he said he plans to move Pagan back to his preferred spot.

For now, Pagan is more focused on his swing. He doesn't believe he's pressing, but at the same time, he can't argue the lack of consistent results.

"Right now, I'm not having a great start, but it's because, maybe, my mechanics and my swing is not clicking right now," he said. "But I'm taking my walks I'm getting, once in a while a hit and scoring runs and whenever I get hot, I get hot.

"It's just a matter of staying within yourself and trust your plan and just be patient."