"Francisco Rodriguez has not given much thought to what will happen if and when he steps to the Citi Field mound for the first time as a visitor with the Brewers.

The Mets already have seen the worst Rodriguez has to offer and their fans have returned the favor, which is why the 29-year-old reliever wasn't the least bit apprehensive regarding his return to Queens.

"All I have to say, they stood behind me on my good days and my bad days," Rodriguez said before the opener of the three-game series Friday night.

"As a player, you have to appreciate that and I do appreciate that. Coming in as a [player on the] visiting team, [if] they boo me, it's something natural.

"If they cheer me, I would feel really special."

You can bet the only way Mets fans end up cheering Rodriguez is if he does what used to get him jeered around here.

Five weeks removed from the trade that sent him to Milwaukee for future considerations, Rodriguez has emerged as an integral part of a bullpen for one of the National League's playoff contenders, just not in the role he would prefer."