NEW YORK -- New York Mets rookie left-hander Steven Matz is set to begin a rehab assignment with Class A St. Lucie on Saturday at Jupiter.
Matz is only slated to throw 25 pitches in the game and another 15 in the bullpen afterward as he returns from a lat strain.
Manager Terry Collins acknowledged it will be a couple of weeks before Matz returns to the majors and the Mets shift to a six-man rotation.
Matz likely will have two more minor league starts with increased pitch counts before being activated from the DL after rosters expand on Sept. 1.
Matz last pitched in a game on July 5, when he threw six scoreless innings on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his second major league start.
Matz should be playing in the same rehab game as David Wright, who is slated to play seven innings on Friday night with St. Lucie and then DH on Saturday.
The original script had Wright playing three straight days beginning Thursday, but that game was suspended in the bottom of the first because of rain.
Collins said the Mets would consider moving Wright to another minor-league team if rain continued to disrupt his rehab in Florida.
