On the Mets beat

Carlos Delgado returned from paternity leave this morning around 10:30 to hugs from teammates and a wrapped baby gift waiting in his locker. The Mets already had boarded the bus for Vero Beach, so Delgado was scheduled to play in a minor-league game this afternoon. After that, it would probably be a nap.

"I had very little sleep," said Delgado, who left the team last Friday. "It's all good though."

Delgado's wife, Betzaida, gave birth to the couple's first child, Carlos Antonio, on Friday night. But due to complications, she wasn't released from the hospital until Wednesday. Delgado stayed by her side throughout, which meant minimal sleep and zero baseball activity.

"I'll be rusty," Delgado said. "But what are you going to do? I can’t be in two places at once. I said earlier, I wasn’t going to miss (the birth) for the world."

Delgado, who was bothered by a stiff neck earlier in camp, has played in only 12 games and batted .200 (6-for-30) with one extra-base hit and three RBI.

UPDATE: Delgado went 1-for-5 with a double against the Mets' minor-leaguers. He played first base for five innings and led off each time.