HOUSTON — Jeff McNeil is swinging a bat in the early stages of his comeback from a right oblique strain. The Mets second baseman, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, began hitting off a tee on Friday with a goal of soon progressing to soft toss.

Brett Baty's strong spring training performance appears to have earned him the starting second base job while Jeff McNeil is on the IL.

HOUSTON — In the Mets’ brewing second-base competition, otherwise known as the audition to be understudy for the injured Jeff McNeil, it all comes down to location, location, location.