Mets push back Pedro's return

The pitching help that the struggling Mets could use most - three-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez won't be arriving anytime soon. GM Omar Minaya told The Post the Mets now expect a strained left hamstring to sideline Martinez until at least the middle of May - and possibly into June. The Mets originally said Martinez, 36, would miss 4-to-6 weeks after hearing a pop in the hamstring on April 1, just four innings into his season debut, the Mets' second game.

Although the Mets still describe the injury as a mild strain, Minaya said a return by Martinez before the six-week mark has since been ruled out by the team and its doctors. Martinez has been rehabbing at his home in Miami since the injury. Continue