Jason Bay's ring finger has replaced David Wright's pinkie in the Mets' escalating game of musical sore digits.

A day after Wright returned to the lineup, despite his broken right pinkie, Bay was scratched with a jammed right ring finger. Bay said he sustained the injury Saturday when he dived back into first base after getting caught in a rundown.

"The jammed finger epidemic that is going around," Bay said yesterday before the Mets' 8-2 loss to the Phillies.

Bay said X-rays taken on the finger Saturday were negative, but he woke up yesterday with bruising and swelling, preventing him from gripping a bat.