Assuming there are no setbacks, Mike Piazza could be swinging a bat by the end of the weekend.

Piazza, who’s recovering from a torn groin muscle, said that he thinks team doctor Andrew Rokito could clear him to start taking some cuts “in the next three or four days.”

The Mets catcher has been reluctant to put a timetable on his return, and when he was first asked when he’s going to start swinging, he said that Rokito “didn’t put a time on it.”

But then Piazza revealed his plan for the next week as far as his recovery.

“Just intensive therapy as far as continuing to ice and things like that and keep the swelling down,” he said. “And then from there, once [Rokito] does give me, in the next three or four days, the clearance to do that, then we’ll just go from there.”

Piazza, who has been on the DL since May 17, said last week that he is still hopeful to come back this season. But even though he could begin hitting in the next three or four days, it remains unlikely that he’ll be able to return before mid-to-late July.

Still, Piazza has raved about how he’s ahead of his rehab schedule and said yesterday that his groin’s been steadily improving.

“The rehab so far has been great. I’ve been making good progress,” he said. “I feel good.”

Piazza also revealed that he has started throwing “a little bit” and has been “keeping in shape as best I can.” He’s even begun to do some upper-body work.

“Yeah, been doing that,” he said. “So it’s definitely getting there. There’s still a little bit of soreness where it did occur.”

Beyond that, Piazza has been able to initiate some cardio work.

“It’s starting to really accelerate [to] some light running and things like that,” he said. “The last thing for me is getting into explosive starts and stops and out of the crouch and initially doing the thing that I hurt it doing. From there, it’s pretty much good to go.”

When he is good to go, Piazza will begin a rehab assignment, likely at either St. Lucie or Norfolk. But as he did last week, he cautioned that while he’s anxious to get back on the field and test the groin, he also won’t carelessly rush to do so.

“I don’t have a time-frame with the rehab,” he said. “It’s got to be pretty much good to go because the last thing I want to do is test it and have it regress, because then you have to go back to square one.

“It’s impossible to test it until you start getting in the cage. You can never simulate game conditions until you start playing a game.”

Art Howe has said that when Piazza does come back, he’s “still going to be primarily a catcher.” In the slugger’s absence, Vance Wilson has assumed the everyday catcher’s role and has impressed just about everybody.

“He’s showing people he can produce on a regular basis,” Howe said of Wilson.

Piazza has been impressed with his replacement as well.

“I’m not surprised at all,” he said. “He’s done a great job. He’s always kept himself in great shape to play. He’s a natural leader and he plays hard and he’s great defensively.”