Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran played catch and took 75 swings from the right side in a batting cage Wednesday. New York's medical personnel did not want him swinging from the left side yet because he is still trying to recover from left knee tendinitis that has kept him out of games for over a week. Beltran expects to repeat Wednesday's program again on Thursday, likely upping the number of swings he takes, but again not swinging lefty. "I'm improving," Beltran said. "The pain is about 50 percent less than it was a week ago. ... I mean, it's not going to be 100 percent now because tendinitis doesn't get cured in a week. It's going to get better. I need to continue to strengthen the quads and work and try to make the leg feel better."