MET NOTES

SAN FRANCISCO – Kaz Matsui’s education at second base may begin even sooner than expected.

A published report said Matsui may soon start taking grounders at second while he rehabs his ailing back in St. Lucie. Questioned about it yesterday, GM Jim Duquette’s response was interesting.

“We haven’t decided that yet,” Duquette said. “We’re waiting for him to get healthy before we decide any of that.”

The most interesting part about the GM’s answer, though, was he didn’t deny that Matsui could eventually take grounders at second. In the past, whenever Duquette has been asked about Matsui doing any baseball activity at second, he’s been adamant that nothing was happening this year.

One thing that appears clear is even if Matsui takes grounders at second, he won’t play any games there this year. Said Duquette, “The type of injury [Joe] McEwing suffered is the exact reason why we wouldn’t want Kaz or anybody else making that transition during the season.”

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McEwing’s leg is broken and his season finished. And MLB disciplinary czar Bob Watson is trying to determine if any Mets or Rockies will be punished for Thursday’s events.

“We’re investigating and that’s all I’ll say,” Watson said. “We’re looking into it.”

The strongest Met candidate for discipline would be Braden Looper, who drilled JD Closser on the right leg in retaliation for his vicious takeout slide of McEwing. Asked about suspensions, Watson said, “I won’t even go there.”

“I have no idea [if I’ll be punished],” Looper said. “I don’t know how it works. I’ve never been thrown out of a game.”

Art Howe emphatically said Looper should avoid discipline, saying, “I think it’s a joke if he is. He certainly didn’t throw at [Closser’s] head or up where he could hurt anybody. He was just throwing inside.”

McEwing has a broken left fibula and was placed on the 60-day DL.

“I’m a big believer in play hard and go get ’em,” McEwing said. “Breaking up a double play is fine. But where he got me, he got me right below my knee. I pretty much stopped him.”

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Entering last night, John Franco had pitched once in the last 21 games and yesterday he met with Howe to discuss his diminished role.

“I should have done it a long time ago,” Howe said of talking to Franco. “I kept looking for the opportunity and it never seemed to develop. We haven’t had the chance to sit down and talk.”

Said Franco, “It went great. We both talked it out.”

Franco insisted his relationship with Howe was OK, saying, “I don’t have a problem with anybody. What frustrates me is I’d like to know. If I’m not going to pitch, I’d like to know. It’s all I ask. I’m not demanding to pitch.”

Franco insisted he did not request his release from the Mets, saying, “I just said if I’m not going to pitch, might as well bring a young guy up.”

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Gregg Clifton, Kris Benson’s agent, is tentatively headed to New York late next week for further negotiations. As reported by The Post yesterday, the Mets offered Benson a two-year deal for around $12M along with two team options that Benson will likely reject.

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With Wilson Delgado the only shortstop, Howe had David Wright, a former high school shortstop, taking grounders there. Howe said Wright could be the emergency backup, though Duquette indicated it was likely a last resort.

Scott Kazmir will almost assuredly make his MLB debut Monday.