"The injury hits just keep on coming for the Mets.

Gary Sheffield appears on his way to making it an even 10 players on the Mets' disabled list, judging by Jerry Manuel's increasingly pessimistic comments before last night's game with the Nationals.

Sheffield was out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive game after leaving Friday's 11-0 loss in Atlanta with what the Mets originally described as cramps in his right hamstring. But following a familiar pattern with the Mets and their description of injuries this season, Sheffield's problem isn't getting any better despite the four days of rest.

Manuel indicated if the 40-year-old slugger's leg doesn't improve by Friday, when the Mets open a three-game series with the Astros in Houston, then the DL likely is his next stop.

"He's still sore," Manuel said. "There's still some lingering soreness in that hamstring. What I'm going to try to do with him is continue to limit him to emergency pinch-hitting and hopefully get through the next two games and see where we are Friday."

Sheffield also had an admission of his own, revealing the day after the injury that the continued cramping and soreness in his hamstring is the result of an electrolyte imbalance.

Newly promoted Cory Sullivan, who hit just .217 with the Rockies last season, will start in Sheffield's place in left field tonight."