Jason Bay Creeping Closer to Return to Mets During the Mets" successful first three months, the team has relied little on Jason Bay, their $66 million outfielder. In Bay's three years in New York, he has spent a good deal of time on the disabled list and not as much as he would like in the batter's box. Bay is currently recovering from a concussion suffered on June 15. He said before Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies that he had been free of symptoms for the past 10 days. Bay ran and threw before the game and also planned to hit in the batting cage. He hopes to return to the club's training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., later this week to play in games before returning to the Mets after next week's All-Star break. Manager Terry Collins said Bay's progress was up to the medical staff. He said that Bay was "chomping at the bit" and that he hoped that Bay can return after the break. Bay was also noncommittal on his precise timetable. "I honestly don't know," he said. It depends on when you can go down there and how you feel. But ideally, yes, optimistically it would be right after the All-Star Break. It hasn't gotten this far down the road to know what that would entail. Bay has played only 22 of the club's 80 games this year before Tuesday. His concussion came in his seventh game back from a broken rib that sidelined him for more than a month. Bay also missed the final two months of the 2010 season with a concussion, and had a rib injury that landed him on the disabled list last season. The 2010 concussion provides Bay a template to understand his current recovery. So he admits that while he feels well, there is a procedure that the medical staff requires when a player is recovering from a concussion. He has enjoyed his team's success, but wishes there was a way that he could be a more active participant. "I haven't been out there very much, and that's been the frustrating part," Bay said. I just really want to be a part of what we have going on here. I've been a fan for most of the season watching this, and it definitely makes it a lot more enticing to get back and try to get back to be a part of it. Mets to Face Winless Lee The Mets face Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee on Wednesday, as Lee continues his quest for his first victory. The vexing zero in Lee's record is partly due to poor luck, but Lee has also struggled in recent outings and has a 4.13 earned-run average. "I just can't figure out why Cliff hasn't won a game yet," Collins said. He's just too good. Collins is worried less about Lee's plight and more about how he will construct a lineup for the next three games, all of which come against left-handed pitchers. Collins must start some of his left-handed batters, like Daniel Murphy, Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Josh Thole. The familiarity with Lee and Phillies left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels makes the matchups less of a concern, but Collins still needs his lefties to hit lefties. "Our left-handed hitters have got to start doing some damage on them, just putting good swings on them," he said. Mets Sign Youngster The Mets signed a 16-year-old Dominican shortstop, German Rosario, to a $1.75 million contract, the highest international bonus the club has ever paid. The Mets also agreed to contracts with a Dominican second baseman, Franklin Correa, and a Venezuelan shortstop, Miguel Patino, both 16. All three teenagers will report to the franchise's Dominican Complex.