PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Jose Reyes laughs when he's asked about the steamy night in Texas two summers ago, the night he had his first Major League experience.

Here was a youngster, just the ninth teenager to ever play for the Mets, collecting a pair of hits and scoring two runs in his debut against the Rangers. Afterward, wide-eyed and excited, Reyes struggled through an interview session with the media, working with interpreter Juan Lopez to describe his emotions and how he felt about what had taken place that evening in Arlington.

"I was scared," Reyes said as he sat in front of his locker recently at Tradition Field, more comfortable with English and clearly more comfortable with himself. "I've been here a lot longer now. But with my English at the time, I was scared to talk to people. I can explain things now. When I first got to the big leagues I was scared, but now I feel more comfortable."

Reyes no longer fears words that he can't use, or a language he doesn't understand. He can express himself, talk about his emotions and communicate just how he feels. And it seems that, for the first time since those Texas nights that seem so long ago, Reyes isn't talking about pain. He isn't answering questions about when he'll return to the field and when he'll stop hurting.

Smiles have replaced looks of anguish. Laughter has replaced tears. Many in the baseball community are waiting, wondering if Reyes' multitude of injury problems are truly behind him. Based on this spring, it would appear that health is no longer an issue for the 21-year-old speedster. But will it stay that way? Will Reyes finally play an entire season and become one of the game's elite players?

"It's huge for him to be healthy," manager Willie Randolph said. "We all know what kind of talent he has. But he has to stay healthy to show what he can do. He has to stay healthy for us. I think he's ready to step up and blossom a bit. I think he knows he's good, and I think he knows how good he can be.

"And we just have to hope and pray we keep him in the lineup. He's huge for us. It's one thing to talk about what a guy can do. But I think you have to prove to everyone that you can be the player you expect and some of the people watching expect you to be."

News and features: • Mets notes: Cameron gets good news • Ginter dealt to Detroit; Colyer to Mets • Amazin' offense shines in Florida finale
Multimedia: • Mets broadcaster Ed Coleman:  • Kevin Czerwinski on the Kaz Ishii trade  • Interview with Darryl Strawberry:  350K
Info:	Schedule  | Ballpark  |  Tickets MLB.com's complete coverage

The Mets have only gotten glimpses of how good Reyes can be, postcards from a place that he has visited but has yet to move to permanently. That night in Texas kicked off a whirlwind two months for Reyes, who was well on his way to getting some serious consideration for Rookie of the Year in 2003 before suffering a severely sprained ankle that cost him the final month of the season. A wunderkind, he was one of the most exciting players in baseball that August, setting a club rookie record for hits in a month with 39. He finished with a 35-game errorless streak at shortstop, the second longest by a shortstop that year in the Major Leagues.

But the hideous ankle injury was just a sign of things to come. A severely strained hamstring in March landed him on the disabled list, where he would stay until June 19. Reyes returned to the lineup and started to hit his stride in July, posting a .318 average and swiping 11 bases, but it wouldn't last. A stress fracture in his left fibula cost him six weeks through August and September, and fueled the idea that he was too brittle.

"Before he got hurt, Reyes was awesome," Mets catcher Mike Piazza said. "You look back with him and see so many weird spurts. He played so well when he came up and was so much fun to play behind both offensively and defensively. He's spectacular at shortstop. Before he got hurt, he was probably the best shortstop prospect I had ever seen, as far as a combination of athleticism, arm, and instincts."

Reyes, who has played in only 122 Major League games, spent a few days with fitness guru Mackie Shilstone last fall to work on conditioning and attempt to get to know his body better. Shilstone taught him how to stretch and how to prepare, and the work seems to have paid off.

Not wanting to wait until Spring Training to test out his newfound fitness, Reyes played in the Winter Leagues, despite the club's desire to have him rest. While the risk of injury was there -- he had gotten hurt playing winter ball in the past -- Reyes showed no signs of the problems that had plagued him over the previous 18 months.

Reyes hit .302 in 29 regular-season games with a homer, three triples, 11 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He hit .422 (27-for-64) in 15 playoff games, stealing nine more bases while smacking three homers and driving in nine for the Gigantes del Cibao. He also had a sparkling .443 on-base percentage in the postseason.

Jose Reyes  /   2B
		Born: 06/11/83 Height: 6'0" Weight: 175 lbs Bats: S / Throws: R More info: Player page Stats | Splits Gallery Team Site | Shop

"I played the whole winter and I ran, and now I don't have to worry about that," Reyes said. "I feel great. Last year was tough for me, but now I am healthy. I don't worry about what people think. Let's just stay on the field and you'll see what happens."

Reyes says his mind is right and clear. And he's back at shortstop, with last year's experiment at second base serving as another ugly reminder of how awful 2004 really was. Reyes has been impressive in camp, amazing Randolph and players who had never seen him up close, or who played with him before he was injured. First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz marveled at what Reyes is capable of doing.

"It's going some time to get used to Jose's arm," Mientkiewicz said. "I'm sure I'll take a couple off the wrist before Spring Training is over. He has that carry on the balls that most guys don't have. Cristian Guzman was a good example of that -- he had that before he hurt his shoulder. And Guzie and I worked together so long, we got him to use his feet more. I know if you're young and you've got a cannon, you want to use it every time.

"But, hopefully, we'll get [Reyes] to learn you don't have to use it every time. Save it. You're not going to be 20 years old for your whole life. You're going to need that arm eventually, when you're 30. And I don't have enough webbings, I don't think, to last the whole year with him firing it over there."

General manager Omar Minaya is cautiously optimistic that Reyes will finally break through in 2005. There haven't been any trade rumors surrounding the youngster this spring, as there were a year ago, now that he has returned to shortstop. But until Reyes puts some distance between himself and his injury problems, doubts will linger.

"When a player has been hurt and it's still recently, I think about that," Minaya said. "[Spring Training] is not the place you want him to get hurt. It's still too fresh to not think about injuries and Jose Reyes. We've all seen kids with great talent but it takes more than talent to make a healthy consistent player. He's a young player who is trying to establish himself. The talent is there but it takes more than talent to be a Major Leaguer."