MET NOTES

Cliff Floyd’s ailing left Achilles tendon kept him out for what was basically a third straight game last night.

Floyd exited Saturday’s game against the Phillies in the first inning, and he did not play at all on Sunday.

Last night, in the series opener versus San Diego, Floyd again was out of the lineup.

“I saw him getting a little treatment just now, and he’s pretty much day to day,” manager Willie Randolph said. “We’re going to let his Achilles calm down a little bit. I don’t think there’s anything really serious going on there. It’s just a little soreness.” Randolph said Floyd was available to pinch hit, and said he did not believe the left fielder was a DL possibility.

Floyd was not available for comment before the game. With him out, Endy Chavez played left field, with Lastings Milledge in right.

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Mike Cameron returned to Shea last night for the first time since being moved in the offseason to the Padres for Xavier Nady.

Cameron was cheered during warm-ups and when his name was announced in pregame as part of the Padre lineup, and he tipped his hat slightly before his first atbat.

“There’s a good chance that we may be coming back [for the playoffs], so this might not be the last three days here,” Cameron said of the Padres, adding, “That means that we’ve done pretty good in the regular season.”

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Triple-A hitting coach Howard Johnson left Norfolk even though he didn’t have permission, which violated team policy, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Johnson is not with the team right now.