NEW YORK (AP) – Mike Piazza wants the New York Mets to get him out of a situation that’s been difficult to deal with.

For much of this season, he didn’t know whether he’d be at catcher or first base until he got to the ballpark and glanced at the lineup card.

“Hopefully, they figure it out,” he said Monday, when he was activated from the disabled list. “If they want to keep doing what we’re doing, fine. If they want to half and half, it is what it is.”

Piazza, sidelined since Aug. 6 because of fluid on his left knee, has started 41 games at catcher this year and 49 at first. He was at first base Tuesday night against Florida and hit a third-inning homer off Dontrelle Willis that tied the score at 1 and pulled him even with Carlton Fisk for 54th place on the career list at 376.

Mets general manager Jim Duquette planned to talk with Piazza and manager Art Howe before the game. Duquette wants to watch Piazza at both positions during the final 51/2 weeks of the season before making a call, but promised a decision heading into the offseason.

“I think there’s no question that it would be our intention to get some final resolution to it,” Duquette said. “It’s really the only way we can plan for next year.”

Mets manager Art Howe, not wanting to give his opinion publicly, listened to Duquette and said: “I agree wholeheartedly.”

Piazza, who turns 36 on Saturday, isn’t sure which position he’d prefer to play. He had wanted to catch long enough to become the career leader in home runs at the position, which he did May 5 when he hit his 352nd on May 5 to overtake Fisk.

His throwing isn’t good – he’s gotten just seven of 37 base stealers – and his foot and glove work at first base needs lots of work, which he readily admits.

“I still like to catch,” he said. “But on the same note, I also like the challenge of learning another position. I’ve enjoyed playing first at times, no question.”

Both Piazza and the team want to get rid of the uncertainty.

“It’s up to them, I really do believe,” he said. “I think it’s important for them, for the organization, to figure it out what they want to do and just communicate with me. From the start, I don’t know why there was a sort of a belief that I didn’t want to be a good team player. That was misunderstood.”

The Mets lost 13 of 21 games while Piazza was sidelined, sinking to 60-69, 151/2 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta going into Monday night.

Piazza, counted on as the center of the Mets’ offense, was batting .276 before the injury with 17 homers and 44 RBIs. Playing with the injured knee, he hit just .143 (7-for-49) after the All-Star break with one homer and four RBIs, dropping his average from .297.

“When you’re not 100 percent, you do start doing things you’re not accustomed to doing,” he said. “I’ve always been sort of reliant on being strong and having that strength, and being able to wait back to the last second to recognize a pitch. When you lose that a little bit, you start anticipating. I’ve never hit like that in my career, so there’s no way I was going to be successful at it.”

He found it easier to recover from the injury at the Mets’ spring-training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., than at Shea Stadium.

“The more I was down there, I realized the training facilities here are a little antiquated,” he said.

Notes: RHP Kris Benson, who said his throwing shoulder feels tired, will be skipped over for his scheduled start Friday and be replaced by Matt Ginter. The Mets and Benson, acquired from Pittsburgh on July 30, are negotiating a contract extension. … The Mets placed RHP Mike DeJean (bruised right lower leg) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, recalled RHP Heath Bell from Norfolk of the International League and designated 1B-OF Brian Buchanan for assignment. If he clears waivers and accepts the assignment, the Mets would send Buchanan outright to Norfolk. … CF Mike Cameron missed his second straight start because of a viral infection.

AP-ES-08-30-04 2017EDT