Hapless Bruce to be sidelined by sore ‘upper butt’

ATLANTA — Jay Bruce’s personal hell now includes a sore “upper butt” and the embarrassment that came from his nonchalance in Wednesday’s seventh inning.

On the health front, Bruce is expected to be sidelined for Thursday’s game in Arizona because of discomfort in his hip and gluteus area, which the veteran outfielder said has been an “off and on” issue this season.

“It’s nothing that bothers me all the time, but today I woke up and was a little bit more sore, sometimes on certain swings it gets it a little more,” Bruce said after the Mets’ 2-0 loss to the Braves at SunTrust Park.

Bruce went 0-for-3 — he is batting just .192 since May 1 — and was the final out, leaving runners on second and third base in the ninth inning.

Two innings earlier, Bruce dawdled gathering Ender Inciarte’s hit to right field. Inciarte kept running and turned a single into a double.

“That was a terrible play by me, it was unacceptable,” Bruce said. “There are like three or four guys in the league that do those type of thing and I have been around too long for that to happen.

“He took advantage of me just being fairly nonchalant about fielding a grounder. It shouldn’t happen.”

Jacob deGrom bailed out Bruce by picking off Inciarte — officially a caught stealing — as he broke for third base.

“Obviously when things aren’t going well for the team, things like that are magnified,” Bruce said of his lapse. “Regardless, I can live with results and physically underperforming, but that is a mistake I shouldn’t make.”

Bruce is among the players frustrated that deGrom has received so little support this season.

“I know that deGrom doesn’t care about the wins and losses by his name, but he has been essentially perfect every time he’s been out there and we have wasted it,” Bruce said. “That is as frustrating as can be. He gives you literally the best opportunity pretty much you are going to have every single time he goes out there this year. It’s just unfortunate. He’s the type of guy who feels he can do more. He’s been pitching great and we just haven’t been picking him up.”