Mets shortstop Jose Reyes cleared to resume baseball activities

Reyes cleared to resume baseball activities

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes has been cleared to resume baseball activities after doctors determined his thyroid levels have returned to normal.

Reyes was diagnosed in early March with a hyperactive thyroid, and doctors prescribed rest and a change in diet. He was told to refrain from physical activity and was monitored and tested weekly in New York.

After missing most of last season with a hamstring injury, Reyes was pulled from stretching before what would have been his spring training debut March 5 when team doctors decided the abnormal results from his physical warranted further testing. He is expected to return to Mets camp Wednesday.

“It’s a good sign for us today, and hopefully it will be a good sign for the rest of the year,” Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Tuesday. “Today is a good day.”

Reyes appeared in just 36 games last season because of the hamstring injury. His only game action since last May was an intrasquad scrimmage just before the start of exhibition play.

Manager Jerry Manuel originally had said Reyes likely would need 10 games in spring training to be ready for the start of the season. But Minaya said Tuesday he did not want to speculate about when Reyes will be ready to play in a game or whether he could be ready for Opening Day.

“We still have two weeks, so let’s see how things go,” Minaya said. “We are not going to say he is not going to be ready, but let’s see when he comes out here how he gets himself prepared. The good thing is he came to camp in excellent shape.

“He is excited about being here; we are excited about him being here. But as far as Opening Day goes, we don’t know.”

Minaya said Reyes will resume full workouts Wednesday, even though his exercise regimen the last two weeks was limited to walking on a treadmill.