"Chris Young took the mound Sunday without any of the questions that surround Oliver Perez. The only question for Young: Is he healthy and can he stay that way?

Young pitched just four games last year and 32 from 2008-09, making his 2007 All-Star berth seem like another lifetime. But the Mets took a low-cost, low-risk chance and Sunday he delivered the first affirmation of their faith. Young got the start against the Braves and pitched two perfect innings, striking out two. More important, he threw 88 mph, a step above the mid-80s he threw when he returned to the Padres in September.

"When I was pitching in September last year, I felt like it was an abbreviated spring training," Young said. "I had two months off from throwing in the middle of the season, and then I started throwing in mid-July and then I was in games by September; competitive games in a pennant race. I felt like I was thrown into the fire a little bit."