Jason Bay hasn't played a regular season game since July 25, and he may have another wait ahead of him once the Mets' regular season starts on April 1.
Bay experienced some ribcage discomfort during batting practice on Tuesday, and was scratched from the Mets' Grapefruit League matchup against the Nationals. The former Red Sox' outfielder returned to the Mets' training grounds in St. Port Lucie, Fla., to be examined further by team doctors on Tuesday morning, MLB.com reports.
Depending on the doctor's diagnosis, Bay could be starting the season on the disabled list — a place that he's become quite accustomed to over the past few years. Mets manager Sandy Anderson has not determined whether he will place Bay on the DL, and said he'd wait for the doctor's decision.
"He didn't want to speculate," Alderson said of Bay. "I didn't ask him to speculate. We'll just wait to see what the doctors think."
If the injury forces Bay to the DL, the Mets could backdate the incident to March 25, which would allow the outfielder to return by April 9 if the rib issue is minor. Bay missed two games over the weekend due to back stiffness, but it was not certain whether the two injuries were related.
"We don't think it's related," Alderson said. "Right now, all we know is it's a strain in the left rib cage. I'm not a doctor. Whether it's related to the back or not, we do not know, but I don't think we believe it is at this point."
The 32-year-old has seen action in 16 games this spring, where he compiled a .233 batting average with one home run. He appeared in 95 games last season with the Mets, missing the second half of the year due to a concussion.
