PORT ST. LUCIE — First baseman Carlos Delgado returned to the lineup last night after missing two games. Delgado, who has been battling a hip ailment all spring, also was dealing with stitches in his forearm after getting struck by a broken bat last Sunday.

Delgado’s injury woes have taken their toll on him at the plate. He was hitting just .174 with eight strikeouts in his first 23 at-bats this spring.

The Mets also expect to get catcher Brian Schneider (hamstring) back Friday or Saturday. Schneider has appeared in just three games this spring because of the injury woes.