New York Mets - PlayerWatch

OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis tore the plantar fascia in his right foot while running to first base Friday in a game for Triple-A Buffalo. The Mets plan to evaluate

Nieuwenhuis's condition over the next few days to determine whether surgery is necessary. Recently demoted to clear roster space for OF Mike Baxter,

Nieuwenhuis was likely to be a September call-up for the Mets.

RHP Frank Francisco was to be activated from the 15-day disabled list before Friday's series opener against the San Diego Padres, ESPN New York reported.

Francisco went on the DL with a left oblique strain June 22 against the New York Yankees. Before the game, he created a stir by calling the Yankees

"chickens." He said he is still bothered by tightness with his right lat after making five rehab appearances with Class AA Binghamton. Mets manager Terry

Collins said he may not use Francisco more than consecutive days in save situations.
RHP Frank Francisco returned from a five-week stint on the disabled list Friday but immediately complained of soreness in his right lat muscle. Francisco had

been sidelined since June 23 with a strained left oblique and had also been dealing with a knee injury. Asked before Friday's game if he is fully healthy,

Francisco said, "Let's see tonight."

LHP Johan Santana will begin a minor league rehab assignment Sunday at Class A Brooklyn. Santana, who has been on the DL since July 21 with a sprained right

ankle, is in line to rejoin the Mets after that, likely on Aug. 11.

LHP Tim Byrdak was placed on the disabled list Friday with left shoulder tendinitis, which he said he has been experiencing since July 26. Though Byrdak

indicated that the injury is not serious, he said that he would have needed to take at least the next three or four days to rest anyway, so he figured he

would make the team's roster decision easy by going on the DL.

2B Daniel Murphy sat out Friday's game with soreness in his right wrist, one day after Giants pitcher Barry Zito hit him there with a pitch. Manager Terry

Collins said that the injury was not serious. But the decision to rest Murphy was an easy one, with a left-hander on the mound and backup 2B Ronny Cedeno

coming off a career-high five-RBI day in San Francisco.