METS Timetable uncertain for Mike Piazza

The injured catcher said he won't rush his return.
MIAMI (AP) -- New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza is making progress in his rehabilitation for a severely strained groin but gave no timetable Monday for his return to the Mets.
"Without putting a timeline, I feel I'm ahead of schedule, personally," Piazza said. "It's responding well and I'm encouraged."
Piazza was with the Mets for their four-game series at Florida and said he's undergoing an "arduous process" as he tries to return to the lineup this season.
He cautioned that he won't risk any setbacks by rushing his rehabilitation to return from the injury that happened when he tried to avoid an inside pitch from San Francisco's Jason Schmidt on May 16.
"I want to make sure it's never an issue again," he said. "The last thing I want to do is go out tomorrow and accelerate and take a step back."
Mets manager Art Howe also would not predict when Piazza would return.
On the sidelines
The All-Star catcher says its been painful to watch from the outside as the Mets struggled in last place. He said he's been working out in South Florida for about a week.
Piazza also discussed the firing last week of Mets general manager Steve Phillips, who brought Piazza to New York in a trade in 1998.
"Steve was instrumental in bringing me to New York and keeping me here," Piazza said. "He really worked hard for this team and had a lot of passion for this organization."
Piazza was hitting .333 with seven homers and 15 RBIs in 111 at-bats when he went on the disabled list May 17th with a Grade 3 groin strain, the most severe strain.
Piazza is considered by many to be the best hitting catcher ever. A 10-time All-Star, he has hit 343 home runs as a catcher -- eight shy of Carlton Fisk's record.
Piazza had more homers and RBIs in his first 10 full years than any other catcher in history.