MET NOTES

The Mets had their first baseman back last night, as Doug Mientkiewicz returned to the club following his stint on the disabled list.

Mientkiewicz, who had been out since June 26 with a strained right hamstring, said he is not 100 percent yet. But he noted, “It’s good enough to play.

“I’m not going to come back after 15 days and be Jose Reyes,” Mientkiewicz said yesterday. “But hopefully I can score from third on a triple.”

Mientkiewicz was in the starting lineup last night, batting sixth. He entered last night hitting just .219, but had been swinging better before getting hurt and now has a chance to show the Mets over the next couple of weeks that the team can get enough offense out of him and won’t have to acquire another first baseman.

“They’re going to make up their mind, regardless,” he said. “I dealt with this last year and it really affected me. Now it’s just like – you know what? – whatever’s going to happen is going to happen. I have no control over that. Yes, I’m better than what I’ve shown. But on the other hand, too, I think collectively as an offense, I think a lot of people expected more out of the offense as a whole than what we’re getting.”

Added Mientkiewicz: “My whole goal from now on is just to be able to get [manager] Willie [Randolph’s] confidence back to put me in there every day and perform.”

Mientkiewicz also said he has made a bet with David Wright, who recently buzzed his hair, that he would do the same thing if he gets his average to .250.

“I’ll be more than willing to take it off,” Mientkiewicz said.

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The Mets appear to be on the verge of suffering a serious minor-league blow. Although he will get a second opinion, team doctors have recommended that right-hander Philip Humber get Tommy John surgery, according to a source familiar with the situation. Humber was the third overall pick in the draft last season and debuted at Double-A Binghamton on Monday.

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Asked if he’s going to watch today’s Yankee-Red Sox game, Tom Glavine admitted yesterday, “I am now, yeah.”

With Al Leiter now pitching for the Yankees, Glavine has incentive to tune in.

“I know in talking to him that he still feels really good and it’s certainly not the way he wanted things to end,” said Glavine, who spent two years in the Mets’ rotation with Leiter. “Hopefully this will work out for him and he can get back to doing what he still feels like he’s capable of doing.”

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Righty Steve Trachsel (herniated disc) threw 40 pitches in two innings of a simulated game yesterday.