There will be a bevy of first-round selections playing in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league this season, but Reese Havens won't be among them.

The 22nd overall pick in June's First-Year Player Draft will be in Port St. Lucie instead of Honolulu participating in the Florida Instructional League with the Mets.

Havens was limited to only 85 at-bats over 23 New York-Penn League games this season because of several nagging injuries, and the club felt it was better for him to be around the team's medical staff and instructors rather than playing in Hawaii. The University of South Carolina product, who was bothered by right elbow and groin issues, hit .247 with three homers and 11 RBIs for Brooklyn.

"We feel that it's a better environment for him to spend a month in Florida," New York's director of Minor League operations Adam Wogan said. "We think it makes the best use of his time. He had some smaller injuries and we're just trying to be cautious.

"He missed some games so this gives him the opportunity to get in some games and build up his overall strength rather than just go out and compete. Guys like him like to go out and compete, so it's better to be in this environment."

Whether Havens actually experienced elbow problems at South Carolina is unclear. What is clear is he began feeling something in his elbow while working out at KeySpan Park shortly before the New York-Penn season began. He didn't make his debut until June 30. He appeared in 17 games as a designated hitter before going on the shelf again with the groin injury just as he was set to begin playing the field.

Havens came back to play three games in early August -- including his first two appearances at shortstop -- before missing the rest of the month with more groin issues. He appeared in two September games, getting five at-bats.

"Certainly, from what we saw of him before the draft definitely translated," Wogan said. "We just didn't get to see him play in a lot of games. The scouting department was very high on him. They loved him in the Cape League and again this spring. Everything we saw was reinforced this year. He just didn't get to play in enough games."