Mets outfielder Starling Marte told Tim Healey of Newsday prior to Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Twins that he's hoping to begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week.
Marte has been making steady progress as he works his way back from a bone bruise he suffered in his right knee during a game last month against the Chicago Cubs.
The veteran was able to resume baseball activities for the first time since the injury late last week, and if things continued progressing well, he was hoping to start a running program shortly after.
It appears everything has continued to go as planned, and the 35-year-old slugger could be closing in on taking a very big next step on his long road to recovery.
Marte did say that he'd likely need a handful of minor league appearances before jumping back into the big-league lineup, so his return will still likely take a bit longer.
Either way, getting his speed and big bat back in the mix sooner rather than later would certainly be a nice boost for the Mets' lineup as they look to continue making noise in the crowded NL Wild Card race.