Colon fights through back ailment; Mejia coming along

NEW YORK -- Everything appears to be in working order. Mets manager Terry Collins came to the park Saturday concerned about two of his starting pitchers, but both appear to be OK.

Bartolo Colon, set to start Saturday's game, has shaken off a back ailment, and Jenrry Mejia, slated for Monday, is recovering from a blister on the middle finger of his right hand. Collins had Daisuke Matsuzaka ready as a contingency plan, but the rotation remained intact for the weekend.

"Bartolo feels fine right now. We're going to have Daisuke out there, too, [in case] he warms up and has any issues," said Collins. "We'll have somebody ready. [Bartolo] had a bad outing in Anaheim. I don't know how bad his back was during the game. He never said anything until the game was over."

Colon, 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA through three starts, has been fairly durable for the last few seasons. The 41-year-old has made at least 24 starts in each of the last three seasons, and the Mets are counting on him to remain healthy and provide a steady presence in the middle of the rotation.

"He's a strike-throwing machine," said Collins of Colon. "You're going to have to swing the bats to beat him. He doesn't walk anybody. Don't get carried away with the body: He's an outstanding athlete. I know as we continue to get deeper into the season, he's going to pitch some big games for us. He gets outs, he knows how to pitch. He's got one pitch that he can throw four different ways."

Collins said he didn't have an update on Mejia before Saturday's game, but he hoped that the 24-year-old would be able to start Monday. Matsuzaka has yet to pitch for the Mets this season, but he made two starts for Triple-A Las Vegas and is stretched out if New York needs him to join the rotation.