Fresh off a three-hit game, Jason Bay is back in the Mets’ cleanup spot for Wednesday’s game against the A’s at Citi Field.

Bay is hitting .353 (12-for-34) over his prior nine games and has had more than one hit in four of his past six.

Bay said he wasn’t even aware he was hitting in the cleanup spot until reporters told him shortly before batting practice.

“I expected to play and if I was batting ninth, I [couldn’t] care less,” Bay said. “It doesn’t change anything.”

Instead, he’d rather focus on the game he had Tuesday, when he matched a season-high with three hits, including a long homer and a triple that nearly left the park.

“I try not to get too excited about it,” Bay said. “There have obviously been a lot more downs than ups this season. I’ll enjoy it, but it’s over with. [It] has no bearing on this game.”

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Bay admitted it was refreshing to actually drive the ball.

Terry Collins had sounded hesitant about moving him back up in the lineup, but the combination of the rest of the lineup not producing, as well as a lefty on the mound, forced the manager’s hand.

“We gotta have that guy that can really protect Carlos [Beltran],” Collins said of the right fielder, who has been hitting in front of Daniel Murphy lately. “And Jason gives us the best option.”

From what Collins saw Tuesday, he said he is optimistic Bay is regaining his form.

“At least his bat was out in front,” Collins said. “He was letting the ball get too deep on him saw. He had good bat speed and I thought, ‘Maybe it’s coming.'”

Scott Hairston, Lucas Duda and Ronny Paulino all got starts against Oakland lefty Gio Gonzalez.

Here’s the rest of the lineup, with R.A. Dickey again looking for his fourth win of the season:

Reyes SS

Turner 3B

Beltran RF

Bay LF

Hairston CF

Paulino C

Duda 1B

Tejada 2B

Dickey P