Barring unexpected complications, Jose Reyes will be in the Mets’ lineup Saturday for their home game against the Nationals. The plan is for Reyes to play one more minor league game Thursday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., then travel to New York, where he will join the team Friday.

He is not eligible to play in a game until Saturday, when he comes off the 15-day disabled list.

Reyes played in a minor league intrasquad game Wednesday and went 1 for 5 with a ground-rule double. He played five innings in the field. On Tuesday he played all nine innings of an extended spring training game.

“Barring any setbacks, we anticipate that, the physical conditioning part of it is going extremely well,” Manager Jerry Manuel said. “He’s getting enough at-bats, so we will do another evaluation on Thursday after he plays in St. Lucie.”

Reyes has been getting back in shape and fine-tuning his timing at the plate in extended spring training and minor league games after missing three weeks of action with slightly elevated thyroid levels. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday, but it was retroactive to March 26.

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Alex Cora started the first two games at shortstop in Reyes’s place, but Manuel said he would give Ruben Tejada, a 20-year-old rookie, a chance to start Thursday against the left-hander Nate Robertson. (Cora bats left-handed, Tejada right-handed.)

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Tejada is expected to be sent down to the minor leagues when Reyes returns.

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