Reyes looks like his healthy old self

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Jose Reyes did everything the Mets wanted him to do Tuesday at the team's minor-league complex. The shortstop hit from both sides of the plate. He fielded grounders with ease and flicked strong throws across the infield. Reyes even danced through his agility drills as if he could have done them blindfolded.

The only time Reyes hesitated at all is when his conditioning coach described one of the routines as resembling the "Ickey Shuffle," a reference to the touchdown dance of the former Bengals running back, Ickey Woods.

The puzzled Reyes paused for a moment, to which the coach replied, "Aw, you probably don't remember that." He didn't. But after a brief explanation, Reyes breezed through that exercise, too.

Reyes has been gone for so long that some people seem to have forgotten just how good he can be - or how much better he makes the Mets. Based on Reyes' A-plus performance, it looks like the baseball world is going to get the chance to find out again very shortly. He may have some surprises in store, as well.

"There's no doubt I can be better - a lot better," Reyes said, "because the last 13 weeks I've been working so hard just to try to get ready for spring training. Now that I'm ready, maybe I'm going to be a little better."

Reyes, 26, was referring to the lengthy rehab from the October surgery to remove scar tissue from the snapped hamstring tendon behind his right knee. It wasn't easy. But with the intensive work to rebuild that weakened leg, Reyes' offseason regimen focused more on his lower half while keeping him more streamlined overall.

As a result, Reyes appears to be less bulky, and the physical change should make him a little quicker, something that never before seemed possible. That was the plan of his personal athletic trainer Rob Panariello, who worked with him at the Professional Athletes Performance Center in Garden City.

"He wanted me to keep in this shape," Reyes said. "He wanted me to not be so strong in my upper body. He wanted me to be lean. He wanted me to be explosive, too."

There were glimpses of that as Reyes sprayed line drives to the outfield, and his first one from the left side prompted the batting-practice pitcher, Dave Racaniello, to let out an audible "Wow!" from the mound. Though it's still early - position players are not required to report until Tuesday - Reyes does not believe he will be under any restrictions when camp officially opens. That's his plan, anyway.

"I don't have to be careful about nothing because I'm ready to go," Reyes said. "If I try to take care of something, that wouldn't be the right way for me. I just have to do what I did before when I'm healthy. I feel good, so I'm able to do everything on the field."

Of all the Mets' injuries last season, the one to Reyes was probably the most baffling, from how it was initially handled to how it ended, with another hamstring muscle tear - during rehab no less - and ultimately surgery for the damaged tendon.

Reyes believes that he tried to come back too soon, and the Mets certainly didn't discourage him. But after a number of hamstring issues that dogged him earlier in his career, Reyes prefers to look ahead and stay positive.

"I have to think that way," Reyes said. "I have to think it's over. I'm working for that. I'm working so hard to try to stay healthy on the field. I have to be strong in my mind. Hopefully, that never happens again.

"That's no easy injury, the one that I have. I had to get surgery. In 2004, when I had the injury, I didn't have to get surgery. It was easy that time. Now it's a little harder."