Schneider to play through the pain

PHOENIX -- Brian Schneider never wholly expected to return to active duty until Monday, nor did he give the Mets many particularly compelling reasons for him to return on Sunday instead. His left thumb, once infected and now healing, still hurts. But there he was on Sunday nonetheless, back behind the plate against the Diamondbacks in the series finale, starting his first game in 11 days.

Schneider shrugged.

"A day helps," he said.

Or, in this case, a day can't hurt. Schneider decided to play only after determining that the pain in his left thumb wouldn't worsen with wear. He caught pieces of bullpen sessions earlier this weekend in Arizona, and despite the pain, he figured he could bear it. Because the infection had fully left his thumb, he also didn't need to worry about a relapse.

"It's just the discomfort of it, and that's something he's got to deal with and get going," manager Willie Randolph said. You can't simulate much by just taking BP."

Yet "BP" or batting practice was never really the problem. Schneider could grip a bat just fine even when his recovery remained at its early stages, though he struggled through plenty of pain while catching. Since then, however, he's realized that he'll feel the pain regardless of whether or not he plays in a game. So Schneider might as well play.

Schneider was sporting a fresh, and noticeably raw, layer of skin on his left thumb on Sunday, which he then padded and slipped into a catcher's mitt. Certainly, the Mets expected him to play eventually, opting to keep him off the disabled list -- even when an assignment there would only have kept him out until the end of the week.

Instead, the Mets decided to option backup catcher Gustavo Molina down to Triple-A New Orleans on Friday, clearing the way for Schneider to return as soon as he was able and ready.

Or, at the least, as soon as he was able and ready enough.

"I can't keep sitting here and saying when I come back, it's not going to hurt," Schneider said. "I'm going to feel it no matter what until that skin gets healed back."

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