Mets shortstop Jose Reyes will rest, refrain from athletic activity and make changes in his diet, according to the treatment prescribed by doctors and specialists, the Mets announced on Thursday.

Jason Bay was unable to notch a hit against his former team, and despite back-to-back homers by Mike Jacobs and Jason Pridie, the Mets fell, 8-2, to the Red Sox on Thursday.

Chris Carter has been swinging a hot stick, and he's already garnered two nicknames this Spring Training. But the one thing the young outfielder wants to be called come Opening Day is a big leaguer.

Chris Carter hit his third homer of the spring on Wednesday, going deep in the Mets' 7-6 loss to the Braves. Auditioning for the rotation, Jon Niese (2 IP) and Fernando Nieve (3 IP) each yielded three runs.

After another Mets medical scenario had taken an odd twist, a morning conversation among the Mets' hierarchy, the club's primary physician and an agent representing Jose Reyes put the club and Reyes on the same page.

Cleared to return to baseball activity and the Mets' clubhouse, too, Frankie Rodriguez will return to work -- pitching ninth innings -- shortly, probably this weekend.

The Spring Training debut of Johan Santana left much to be desired in terms of artistry -- four runs in 1 2/3 innings, not that anyone, including Santana, was unsettled by what was little more than a cameo appearance.

The Mets said late Tuesday that tests administered to Jose Reyes in New York on Monday confirm the original diagnosis for the shortstop.

David Wright and Ike Davis homered Tuesday, but all eyes were on Johan Santana, who tossed 47 pitches in his Grapefruit League season debut, an 8-4 Mets loss to the Astros.

Mets ace Johan Santana makes his spring debut on Tuesday against the Astros at 1:10 p.m. ET on MLB.TV.

While no one expects Mets outfielder Chris Carter to hit two home runs in a game in 2010, much less two long balls in one inning, he did just that in Monday's 11-2 Grapefruit win over the Marlins, possibly turning some heads in the process.

Jenrry Mejia may not join the Mets as a setup man, according to Jerry Manuel, but the rookie could be considered for a starting role.

John Maine threw well in his spring debut, but it was the Mets' offense that grabbed the headlines in the club's 11-2 win over the Marlins.

Francisco Rodriguez was back in camp Monday, due to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday or Wednesday and likely to pitch over the weekend.

Jerry Manuel wanted control and, if at all possible, precision from his pitchers. And in performances with decidedly different impact, Oliver Perez and Hisanori Takahashi accommodated.

The resume Omir Santos has created in his brief big league career is rather modest and not likely to become significantly longer, but he added a inside-the-park grand slam to it on Sunday.

Omir Santos drove in four of the five runs the Mets scored in the second inning, hitting an inside-the-park grand slam as the Mets edged the Nationals, 6-5, on Sunday.

Fernando Martinez hit two home runs and singled twice in four at-bats on Saturday, producing the kind of performance that the Mets have been waiting two springs to see.

The longer Mike Pelfrey pitched, the more effective he became. And the longer manager Jerry Manuel spoke about his starting pitcher, the more he commended him.

If a genuine competition for a specific assignment exists at Mets training camp, one that will be decided by merit, it is the one between Jon Niese and Fernando Nieve for the fifth spot in the starting rotation.