"Just call them the Ailin's.

The path to the disabled list is starting to look like a painful conga line for the Mets, who in just a few hours yesterday learned they could lose shortstop Jose Reyes until the All-Star break and reliever J.J. Putz -- who turned in a horrendous inning in yesterday's 11-6 loss to the Pirates -- for two months or more.

The bigger blow obviously is Reyes, who is in line to miss 4-to-6 weeks after discovering he has a torn right hamstring.

The Mets in a statement last night described the tear as a new injury and not related to the tendinitis in his right calf and knee that has sidelined Reyes for most of the past three weeks.

An MRI exam -- Reyes' third in less than three weeks -- that was held in New York yesterday afternoon confirmed what the Mets said was a small tear, which apparently happened Wednesday in an extended-spring game in Florida.

Reyes, who has had hamstring problems throughout his career, had been scheduled to come off the disabled list today.

Instead of that, the Mets said Reyes will rest for two days before resuming treatment. They did not release a timetable for Reyes' return, but it is considered a minimum 2-to-3 week injury.

The Mets also are especially cautious with injuries involving Reyes' legs, which is likely to add another 2-to-3 weeks to his rehab.

Reyes' injury leaves the Mets in a bind at shortstop because one of his replacements, Ramon Martinez, went on the DL on Wednesday because of surgery to repair a dislocated pinky finger.

Alex Cora and journeyman Wilson Valdez, who was playing in Korea and Japan last year, are the only healthy shortstops on the Mets' current roster.

General manager Omar Minaya was unavailable for comment after Reyes' injury was announced, but is scheduled to speak today in Washington when the Mets open a three-game series with the Nationals.

Putz, meanwhile, appears headed for surgery on his ailing right elbow after his latest awful outing, which saw the former All-Star closer give up two runs on three hits in just one inning. "