Marcum on track to make Mets debut Saturday

NEW YORK -- Right-hander Shaun Marcum is scheduled to throw up to 75 pitches Monday, putting him on track to make his Mets debut Saturday.

If Marcum completes his work without any setbacks, the Mets will activate him in time for a 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Phillies at Citi Field. Marcum has been on the disabled list since Opening Day with nerve inflammation in his neck.

"We'll see how he gets out of tomorrow," manager Terry Collins said Sunday morning, "but that would put him on course to be in the spot when we need him."

Should Marcum indeed debut on Saturday, he will be limited to less than 100 pitches as he continues to work his arm back into shape. But the Mets still feel Marcum can give them a stronger effort than left-hander Aaron Laffey, who was designated for assignment Sunday morning following two ineffective starts.

"Shaun's getting ready," Collins said. "He'll be treated like it's his first start of the year pretty much. But the kind of pitcher he is, you look up at 90 pitches and he's in the seventh inning. He's a guy that pitches to contact. ... He's not a ground-ball guy. We'll wait to see how he comes out of tomorrow, but if he's ready, I think he'll give us what we want, and that is a guy to come in and eat up some innings for us."