Ike has possession of first base -- for now

NEW YORK -- Ike Davis is the winner of the first-base competition -- at least for now.

Though Davis was in the Opening Day lineup, batting sixth, manager Terry Collins said that Davis, Lucas Duda and Josh Satin will all receive regular at-bats early in the season. Satin, for example, will start at first base on Wednesday, when the Mets face Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez.

General manager Sandy Alderson, meanwhile, said that the team could consider demoting either Davis or Duda to Triple-A Las Vegas when Jon Niese comes off the disabled list on Sunday. With Niese on the DL, the Mets are carrying an extra bench player for the first five games of the season.

"I'm not suggesting it happens at first base, but we're going to have to address our position players at that time," Alderson said. "I don't expect this to be a fluid situation that goes on indefinitely."

Still, with the Mets in need of a designated hitter next weekend in Anaheim, a demotion of one of those two remains unlikely; outfielder Andrew Brown has always been the leading candidate to go to the Minors at that time.