NEW YORK -- Aaron Heilman, the Mets' second most consistent starting pitcher through the first sixth of the season, has been temporarily removed from the rotation to provide bullpen insurance Thursday afternoon when Kris Benson makes his 2005 debut.

The Mets anticipate Benson pitching five, perhaps six, innings. But if he doesn't pitch deep into his start, they will have Heilman available to pitch in long relief.

The change of assignment for Heilman came as something of a surprise because he has been more reliable than any starter other than Pedro Martinez. Heilman has a 2-2 record. Martinez (three) and reliever Roberto Hernandez (two) are the only other pitchers with more than one victory.

With Heilman removed for the rotation -- manager Willie Randolph said he won't start Friday, Saturday or Sunday even if he isn't used Thursday -- the Mets' rotation for the their three-game series in Milwaukee will be Victor Zambrano, Martinez and the struggling Tom Glavine.

Heilman is not necessarily in line to start Monday in Chicago, Randolph said. But if Heilman doesn't pitch extended innings over the weekend, he probably will open the series against the Cubs.

The changes conceivably could deny Martinez a start against the Yankees. If Martinez was the starter Sunday in Milwaukee with the Mets scheduled for off days May 12 and 19, he would have been in line to make starts against the Cardinals (May 14) and Yankees (May 20), each with the desired five days' rest.

But now Martinez's assignment is to start Saturday in Milwaukee, the game that had been assigned to Heilman. But Randolph said Martinez will start against the Yankees, presumably in the first game of the series, May 20, at Shea.

Benson rejoined the team Wednesday night and said he felt strong and sharp. He said was confident he had the arm strength to pitch five normal innings, and he was hoping to reach the sixth, maybe the seventh.

Cameron returns, too: Benson might have a first-time outfield alignment behind him Thursday. Mike Cameron left Norfolk late Wednesday after playing in a second game with Triple-A Norfolk, and he may be in the Mets' lineup as the right fielder for the final game of the series against the Phillies.

Cameron had a triple and a walk and scored a run the Norfolk's 10-5 victory against Durham. He had a single, three walks and scored once Tuesday night when Norfolk won, 8-7. He had played in four games with the Class A St. Lucie affiliate prior to moving to Triple-A.

Randolph committed to Cameron as his right fielder, but qualified his words based on the chance of recurring soreness in Cameron's surgically-repaired left wrist. Cameron was playing in Spring Training when tendinitis developed and forced the club to assign him to the disabled list.

A deluge and a denial: Major League Baseball denied the Mets' protest and request for the Nationals to forfeit their 5-3 victory Saturday night. The Mets were notified Wednesday afternoon.

The Mets had sought to have the loss reversed based on the inability of the Nationals grounds crew to protect the field promptly during a rain delay in the eighth inning. The infield wasn't full protected for 31 minutes, mostly because the crew was undermanned -- 12 members -- and seemingly not familiar with the proper procedure.

Six minutes after the tarpaulin was in place in the eighth, the game was called with the Mets losing their last turn at bat. The rain stopped shortly after the game was called. But the field was unplayable because it had been unprotected.

The crew had trouble during an earlier 30-minute delay.

The Mets protested the failure of the grounds crew to comply with the wishes of the umpires to cover the field. They were told the failure had to be because of gross negligence or refusal to warrant a forfeit. The Mets had thought their best chance for the appeal to be upheld involved the failure of the Nationals to provide a sufficient, expererienced crew.

But they hadn't anticipated a favorable ruling because they believed the penalty -- forfeiture -- was so harsh. The Mets would have been satisfied with a chance to resume play at the point it was suspended. But there is no provision for such action.

Mets history -- May 5: In 1983, the Mets promoted Darryl Strawberry to the Major Leagues. He made his debut the following day and went on to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. ... In 1965, future Hall of Famer Jim Bunning, who pitched a perfect game against the Mets a year earlier, pitched his sixth straight complete-game victory against them in a 1-0 Phillies victory. Bunning hit a home run off Warren Spahn. ... Nine years later, the Mets beat the Padres, 6-4, in 10 innings, on a home run by John Milner in the 10th inning of the second game of a doubleheader. Milner had hit home runs in the previous two games as well.

On deck: A matinee will take place Thursday that will put all sorts of things together. The return of Kris Benson and Mike Cameron from the disabled list will make the Mets almost whole for the first time. They'll be waiting only for Kaz Ishii.