Turner, youngsters hitting a rough patch

For Justin Turner, like any young player, every day in the majors brings with it another round of the cat-and-mouse game between pitcher and hitter.

When Turner faces someone like Roy Halladay or Tim Lincecum, he's usually considered the mouse in that relationship, and it's difficult to gain the upper hand, even for a moment.

In addition to far-reaching video footage, teams have pages of scouting reports to rely on, and all of that information gets processed for use on a pitch-by-pitch basis. As a result, Turner guesses along with the guy on the mound about what could be coming next.

And if that isn't enough, there can be more subtle hints of weakness, such as the unusual pad that's taped to the handle of Turner's bat. With Turner nursing a bruised right thumb -- the byproduct of connecting on too many inside pitches -- that shock absorber helped keep him in the lineup during the past week. "If the catcher looks," Turner said, "he probably knows something's up."

The thumb has improved considerably since Terry Collins sat Turner for two games in Atlanta last week, so he's felt better at the plate. But the Mets' group of young replacements, which includes Turner, has experienced its share of growing pains lately in trying to pick up the slack for Ike Davis and David Wright.

With neither player expected back till after the All-Star break, those spots will continue to be shared by Turner, Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda -- with Ruben Tejada also in that mix as the starter at second base.

The question used to be who would get squeezed out when Davis and Wright returned. But with Davis sidelined for another three weeks, and facing the possibility of season-ending surgery when that time is up, the Mets are left wondering if their Buffalo imports can get the job done.

Given their lack of experience -- and the big shoes they are attempting to fill -- conventional wisdom suggests no.

After Tejada's initial surge, the 21-year-old has fallen into a 3-for-29 skid (with 11 strikeouts) that has dropped his average from .338 to .272. Collins benched him Thursdayin favor of Turner at second, Murphy at third and Duda at first.

"Ruben has to learn they are pitching him a little differently," Collins said. "He has to be more disciplined at the plate, not expand too much and stay within himself."

That's an obvious sign of frustration. But while Tejada is accumulating valuable experience with a more consistent workload, he's also showing more to advance scouts, who are preparing more detailed information on how to attack him. "A lot of it comes down to reports are being spread," Collins said. "Scouts are talking to scouts."

Turner, 26, became the first Met to win a Rookie of the Month award after he batted .375 with a home run and 20 RBIs in May. But he's cooled since the start of June, hitting .200 (14-for-70) with a .305 on-base percentage through Wednesday. What he has learned, however, is to not let that tough stretch affect him in crunch time.

Turner still has 11 RBIs in 17 games this month, so he's maintained that ability in light of whatever else is going on. Collins attributes that to shortening his swing and focusing only on contact. "He's doesn't try to do anything more than try to hit it," Collins said.

In Turner's mind, that's hard enough. Before this year, he had only 21 big-league games under his belt, and he began this season with Triple-A Buffalo. The trick now is to avoid going back.

"I think the pitchers up here are better at making adjustments quicker," Turner said. "They're better at finding holes in your swing or setting you up, so you have to be able to make the adjustments quicker. I try to make them from pitch to pitch."

There's no sense looking ahead much further than that.