Hairston improves, but Torres at center of concerns

PORT ST. LUCIE — Outfielder Scott Hairston, whose oblique strain once made an April stint on the disabled list seem inevitable, continues to improve, increasing the team’s hopes that he will be ready for Opening Day — but center fielder Andres Torres (calf) is not progressing.

The morning after testing his sore side by hitting off a tee, Hairston said he “felt good” on Saturday, and did the same. He hopes to take live batting practice on Sunday and Monday, and appear in a Grapefruit League game midweek.

If he proceeds without a setback, Ha i r ston would help to settle the Mets’ center field situation. The team has been forced to recall Matt den Dekker from minor-league camp and audition infielder Jordany Valdespin at the position.

The organization is high on the 24-year-old den Dekker (one team official predicted “he’s going to be a Gold Glove center fielder, with power”). Still, he has not yet played in Triple-a, and the team would prefer to break camp with Torres and Hairston. Hairston’s status now seems more promising than Torres’.

“He’s not a whole lot better,” Terry Collins said of Torres. “Each day means more time off, as far as him coming back. It’s a pretty big piece of the puzzle. We got him to fill a big void for us, and him being out, out of the gate, and with Scott hurt, we’re

going to scramble.”

BYRDAK THROWS

Tim Byrdak, recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, played catch on flat ground at a distance of 120 feet Saturday.

“I felt fine,” he said. “Just a little bit of pressure from the incision.”

The reliever will likely miss Opening Day, but could return in April.

HARVEY’S TURN

Pitching prospect Matt Harvey will return from minor league camp Saturday to face Washington in Viera. It will be Harvey’s first start against a major league team.

JONES OUT FOR OPENER

Longtime Met nemesis Chipper Jones was scheduled to begin his final season at Citi Field on April 5 — until it was announced Saturday that the Atlanta slugger would miss about three weeks after having knee surgery.

WRIGHT TUESDAY?

David Wright participated in hitting and fielding drills again on Saturday. Collins does not want to publicly commit to a timetable for Wright’s debut, but said, “I would love to see David by Tuesday for sure.”