Bay out of Mets lineup again
ATLANTA — Jason Bay is out of the lineup again Tuesday when the Mets open the final series of their road trip against the Braves with Jon Niese on the mound.
Terry Collin said it was because he needed to get Willie Harris in the lineup. Harris entered 7-for-14 against Braves starter Jair Jurrjens, but the move spoke volumes as to how far Bay has fallen.
“I just thought in this case, with his struggles a little bit, I need Willie to get at-bats,” Collins said before the series opener at Turner Field. “I could have taken Angel out. He doesn’t have good numbers against [Jurrjens]. I thought this was the best scenario right now. Lefties are hitting him, so I wanted them in the lineup.”
Bay, who sat for two games earlier in the road trip and is hitting .207, continues to not complain about not playing.
“It’s just the reality of where I’m at,” Bay said. “It’s the same thing. I just keep battling. There’s not much else to say.”
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Justin Turner, whose surprising performance has helped the Mets survive so far without Ike Davis and David Wright, missed the game with a jammed right thumb, and Collins expects to be without him until Thursday’s series finale at Turner Field.
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Tuesday’s Mets lineup:
Reyes SS
Harris LF
Beltran RF
Murphy 3B
Pagan CF
Duda 1B
Thole C
Tejada 2B
Niese P


