Baseball notes: Mets finally get good injury news

All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran shagged fly balls Monday for the first time since going on the disabled list with a bruised right knee, part of another encouraging day for the injury-riddled New York Mets.

Billy Wagner, out all season following elbow ligament replacement surgery, worked another perfect inning in his second minor league rehab appearance and first baseman Carlos Delgado took batting practice on the field for the first time since hip surgery.

Beltran said he took about 30 fly balls and the bone bruise on his knee bothered him twice, but with much less pain than before.

"I think it's progress because I didn't feel it all the time," he said. "And I ran in the pool today, like six miles per hour, and I didn't feel anything. It's getting better little by little."

Beltran, who took early batting practice on the field Saturday, said his knee still needs to improve before he would feel comfortable playing the outfield. He was still sticking to his plan to be back in approximately two weeks.

"That's my plan," he said before the Mets hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks. "That's my target and I'm doing everything possible for me to accomplish that."

Delgado had surgery on his right hip in mid-May. The slugger said he hoped to run Tuesday, but there is no timetable for his return.

"It's nice that you can hit and I'm not going to lie — hitting is the most fun part of my day," he said. "But still, there are other things that you've got to be able to do and you've got to do them well in order to come out and play every day."

The Mets activated Gary Sheffield off the DL on Sunday and the slugger made his first start since his return on Monday night against the Diamondbacks. He had been sidelined since July 18 with a strained right hamstring.

VOLQUEZ OUT FOR 12 MONTHS: Reds right-hander Edinson Volquez is expected to miss the rest of this season and the first half of next year, too, after having reconstructive elbow surgery Monday, another major setback for fading Cincinnati.

Volquez had surgery to replace a torn ligament and repair other damage in his right elbow, which has sidelined him for the last two months. The typical recovery time is 12 months.

"It's not good news," manager Dusty Baker said. "It sure hurts your heart."