Church: Well Maybe Not So Quick

MIAMI -- Every day, every hour, RYAN CHURCH's situation is evolving. So perhaps it should come as little surprise that Wednesday brought yet another change.

Originally scheduled to drive up to Port St. Lucie, Fla., this week to play in a slate of rehab games, Church will instead travel with the Mets to Houston, where he can remain under the direct care of the team's training staff. Church said he was not ready to begin a Minor League rehab assignment regardless of how well his health was progressing, and that he would rather remain with the trainers who have cared for him this week.

"I felt good, very good," Church said. "Truthfully, I'm glad I'm going with the team and the guys that know my situation, what's going on with me, know my routine."

Though manager Jerry Manuel had originally pegged next week's homestand as a possible return for Church, that plan now seems unrealistic. Church still must play as many as six or seven Minor League games before he can return to the Mets, and that process will be delayed at least three days with his trip to Houston.

"There was no finger-pointing as to what day I was going to start playing games," Church said. "I was going to go day-to-day and see what happens. You can't go two days [of batting practice] and then go straight into playing games again."

Not even when the batting practice went as well as anyone could have hoped. Before news of Church's new itinerary broke -- general manager Omar Minaya had discussed the plan with trainer Ray Ramirez earlier in the day -- Manuel spent time lauding Church's initial batting practice session on Tuesday.

Those swings were the first Church had taken since landing on the disabled list with post-concussion syndrome.

"He looked real good [Tuesday] in the cage, extremely impressive for a guy a who supposedly hasn't hit for three weeks," Manuel said. "I mean, wow."

Church drove with his wife to their home in Viera, Fla., during Wednesday's game against the Marlins, and will re-join the team on Friday in Houston.
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com