"Ike Davis is in Arizona, resting his bruised ankle and hoping to avoid major surgery - but at least his middle-of-the-order partner, David Wright, is progressing.

Wright, recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back, swung a bat Wednesday for the first time in his rehabilitation. He did so underwater in Port St. Lucie, plans to hit off a tee today and could begin minor league rehab games in "seven, eight days," according to Terry Collins.

"I talked to David this afternoon, after he was done with his rehab," the Mets manager said. "He did all his exercises today. He caught ground balls (hit) at him. He swung in the pool today as a start. . . . I'm sure it relieves some of the tension that's involved (in swinging)."

Collins said that Wright will continue by hitting exclusively off a tee for "a couple of days, then he does the front toss, then he gets into batting practice. He says he feels great."

If that pace proceeds without a setback, the Mets could see some power restored to their lineup by mid-July. The outlook for Davis is far less rosy; if he does not improve within the next several weeks, he will likely undergo a serious microfracture surgery that could impact his future."