MET NOTES

PORT ST. LUCIE — The earliest 26-year-old left-hander Bill Pulsipher is likely to return to full workouts is Wednesday. He and the team are taking extra precautions so that they know exactly what is wrong with him.

“That is not a definitive timeline,” GM Steve Phillips said about Pulsipher, who is eager to return to win the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

Yesterday, Mets internist John Olinchey and his son, also named John, who is a neurologist, looked at Pulsipher. They didn’t find any problems, but will continue to examine him tomorrow.

“On Monday we are going to schedule Bill for a stress echo cardiogram and then put a [heart] monitor on him that he will wear for 24 hours that tests the rhythm of his heartbeat,” Phillips said.

Pulsipher will do some working out today.

“Bill will do some conditioning,” Phillips said. “And will let him throw [from a mound today.] But again we’re holding him back until we get the results of the test.”

Phillips reiterated that the Mets’ doctors think Pulsipher’s unconsciousness was due to the combination of the multiple supplements he took, the arthritis medicine for his back, the Prozac, and Pulsipher not eating.

“We are going to make sure it’s not anything else before we commit to that,” said Phillips, who added that sometimes seizures do not show up on the tests.

After collapsing Wednesday afternoon, Pulsipher spent the night in a hospital here before being released Thursday. He said yesterday that he felt fine.

Manager Bobby Valentine had high praise once again for Jay Payton yesterday.

“He can hit,” Valentine said. “Certain pitches he’s going to kill.”

Valentine and the 27-year-old Payton agree that the latter can be an every-day player one day. The question is when.

“I know this year is going to be tough,” Payton said.

But if Payton is not traded (and his value right now is low because of his injury history) and he makes the team he could put himself in position to be a starter next season because Derek Bell, Darryl Hamilton and Rickey Henderson are all free agents at the end of this year.

As Henderson again spoke with reporters yesterday, Phillips came around the corner and saw him. Phillips mouthed with a smile, “Come on,” as he swung his fist across his body like a matador.