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On the same day the Mets were saddened by the retirement of 40-year-old David Cone, who was unable to pitch with an arthritic hip, they were boosted by the return of team captain John Franco to Shea Stadium in Queens, N.Y.

The left-handed relief ace hadn't pitched in the majors since Sept. 29, 2001 - 18 days after the terrorist attacks that shook New York. Franco's well-worn ulnar collateral ligament ruptured, and he faced a choice of retirement or Tommy John surgery and at least a 13-month rehab.

Franco showed the same resilience of his hometown, dealing with the pain and working to rebuild.

"I'm almost at the finish line," Franco admitted to New York reporters. "It's been a long road, sitting out the last year and working hard like I did. My age (42) is old. Most people my age are retired. But I love the game."

HOUSTON HEATS UP: The Astros, who have hovered around .500 and kept the division-leading Chicago Cubs in sight despite an early season plagued by injuries and illness, have a chance to take over the division race over the next month and a half.

If they can stay healthy.

Six of the Astros' next 44 games are against teams with winning records, playing the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers 19 times during that span. Manager Jimy Williams is hoping that will give him a chance to rest a bullpen that has pitched more than 200 innings and has five relievers on pace to make 70 appearances this season.

Not that they're any worse for wear. Brad Lidge (3-0, 1.76 ERA), Octavio Dotel (3-1, 1.57), closer Billy Wagner (1-2. 1.80, 15 saves) and Ricky Stone (4-0, 1.97) give Houston the deepest bullpen in the majors. Houston has lost just once in the 25 games it has led after eight innings.

The club got more good news Saturday when ace Roy Oswalt returned to the rotation after spending time on the disabled list with a groin strain.

TROUBLE IN YANKEE LAND: Those $164 million New York Yankees - the most expensive team in baseball history - not only aren't looking so hot of late, they're not sounding so hot, either.

Who would have guessed that, one-third of the way into the season, we'd hear:

GM Brian Cashman say, "This team is capable of a lot. But whether we achieve it or not is a different story."

Shortstop Derek Jeter say, "You can't say, 'We've done it before,' because this team hasn't done it. It's a different team. It's different personnel. I'm not saying this team can't be successful; I'm saying this group hasn't done it."

And manager Joe Torre say, "Right now, it seems like we're going uphill all the time. But you don't look for sympathy when you wear this uniform, because nobody is going to give you any."

NO MO' MO? The last-place New York Mets won't be getting first baseman Mo Vaughn back this season - and might never see him in uniform again.

Vaughn, 35, has seen six doctors, and they all told him the same thing: Even surgery isn't likely to save his career. Vaughn's arthritic left knee is so bad he might need knee replacement.

Vaughn, a three-time AL All-Star with six seasons of 33 or more homers and seven with at least 96 RBI, was batting .190 with three homers when he went on the disabled list May 3. If he can't play again, an insurance policy the Mets took out could pay them 75 percent of the nearly $28 million the team owes him through 2004.

WORST SERIES: Interleague play begins Tuesday, and in one sense the most intriguing matchup has the Detroit Tigers playing the Padres in San Diego. What more could any fan want than having the worst team in each league playing each other?

At their pace entering Saturday, the Tigers would win 40 games, the Padres 44. It is not likely, but both teams are contending for the fewest victories in a 162-game season, 40, a record set by the expansion Mets in 1962.

MR. AUTOMATIC: When Atlanta lost to the Reds on Monday, it marked the first time since May 29, 2002, it lost a game in which John Smoltz pitched. He needed to make it only three more days for an even year.

The Braves won 73 consecutive games in which Smoltz appeared. There's no bigger reason that they're on pace to win 110 games after losing Tom Glavine and Kevin Millwood.

"I wanted it to go on forever," Smoltz said of the streak.

Before Smoltz, no pitcher had appeared in more than 59 consecutive victories. Dennis Eckersley did that from Oct. 1, 1991, to Aug. 23, 1992.

FAMILIAR NAME: In San Diego there's as much speculation about what the Padres will do with their second-round draft pick as with their first, which is the fourth overall. That's because San Diego State outfielder Anthony Gwynn, Tony's son, is expected to be on the board.

Anthony is hitting .359 for his father, who is in his first year as the Aztecs' coach.

SHORT HOPS: In an effort to keep players motivated, Rangers manager Buck Showalter keeps the stats of the organization's top minor-league players posted in a hallway in the clubhouse.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers are on pace to give up fewer runs than any team since the mounds were lowered in 1969, but their pitching extends well beyond the major-league roster.

Rumor mill

Gary Sheffield, who can become a free agent after the season, has fired agent Scott Boras and plans to use only a financial adviser to represent him in negotiations. He hints the Braves better offer him something soon or forget re-signing him.

• Despite his 13 homers, the Braves might look to deal catcher Javy Lopez within the next six weeks. He vests with 10/5 no-trade rights in mid-July, which could complicate a deal at the trading deadline. Johnny Estrada, acquired in the Kevin Millwood trade, is hitting .374 with 30 RBI at Triple-A Richmond.

• Angels closer Troy Percival says his hip injury is "not to the point where it's career-threatening," but a condition described as degenerative is plenty scary.

• The theory was the Chicago Cubs' pitching benefited from a high mound. In fact, it was whacked around after the mound was ruled a half-inch too high and had to be lowered. Of course Saturday's 16 shutout innings shoot down that theory.

• Boston's acquisition of right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim for infielder Shea Hillenbrand gives the Sox another starter, for now. It's thought Kim will take over the closer role - the Boston bullpen-by-committee has been brutal.