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Mets send Tejada to Triple-A after activating him

MILWAUKEE -- Ruben Tejada is officially healthy. And officially a Minor Leaguer.

Rather than activate Tejada from the disabled list and place him on their Major League roster, the Mets on Saturday chose to activate and option him to Triple-A Las Vegas. The move means Omar Quintanilla will remain New York's starting shortstop for the foreseeable future.

Tejada, 23, was in danger of a Minor League demotion before straining his right quad in late May, resulting in an assignment to the disabled list. He began a rehab assignment late last month and made it to Las Vegas on July 2, but has hit just .154 in four games since.

That led the Mets to commit to Quintanilla, who entered Saturday's play with a .248 average and two home runs in 32 games as Tejada's replacement.

Tejada is a career .261 hitter over four seasons with the Mets. His best season came in 2011, when he batted .284 with a .360 on-base percentage as a 21-year-old, but Tejada has been unable to build upon that campaign.

Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo.
Read More: New York Mets, Omar Quintanilla, Ruben Tejada