Lucas Duda is not in Saturday's Mets lineup; Jason Bay is off to Triple-A Buffalo, and could be activated next week; Mike Baxter is set to start his rehab assignment; and Matt Harvey, the Mets' prized pitching prospect, may start a week from today. 

  • Lucas Duda is out of Saturday's lineup with a hamstring issue, tweeted the New York Post's Joel Sherman. He'll be out of action for a few days. 
  • Left fielder Jason Bay is off to Triple-A Buffalo, where he'll continue his rehab assignment, Sherman also tweeted. Bay played two games with the Class A St. Lucie Mets on Thursday and Friday night, going hitless but walking twice, as he works his way back from another concussion.
  • Look for Bay to be activated on Tuesday in Washington, reported ESPN.com's Adam Rubin. 
  • Outfielder Mike Baxter is scheduled to start a rehab assignment on Sunday with Class A Port Lucie, Rubin also reported. Baxter was batting an impressive .323/.392/.523 in 40 games and 65 at-bats before he hit the DL with a displaced right collarbone suffered on June 1.
  • A week from today, the Mets will either start Miguel Batista or prospect Matt Harvey, writes Rubin. Harvey has a 3.39 ERA in 18 starts with Triple-A Buffalo, and has struck out an impressive 102 batters in 98.1 innings. The Mets are happy with Harvey's curveball, but his changeup needs work, said manager Terry Collins. Drafted in the first-round of the 2010 draft, seventh overall, the Mets have been patient in calling up their top pitching prospect. However, with the Mets in the hunt for the wild card, the time might be right.
  • Harvey will start Monday night for Triple-A Buffalo, and Rubin tweeted that a "boatload of Mets execs" will be there. Should the start go well, it's all but certain Harvey will be called up.
  • Batista is 1-2 on the season in 27 games, four of them starts, with a 4.07 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. 
  • Collins also said that while the Mets' other young pitching prospect, Zack Wheeler, is pitching very well, he won't get the start on Saturday. But his time is coming soon. 
  • Wheeler has a 2.62 ERA with Double-A Binghamton, and has only allowed 66 hits in 92.2 innings pitched, while striking out 88 batters.