"Once again, Ryan Church is off to a spectacular start, batting .423 for the Mets and making juggling catches in right field. But he is not scheduled to be in the starting lineup Wednesday night against the San Diego Padres.

Instead, he will be benched in favor of Gary Sheffield, who did not play the outfield in spring training for Detroit because he never thought he would be asked to do so during the season, by the Mets.

Still, ready or not, Sheffield will be in right field at Citi Field, manning what could be one of the trickiest corners in baseball, with an upper-deck overhang and assorted quirky angles. And the left fielder will be Daniel Murphy, who is still learning on the job.

Add in a fly-ball starting pitcher like Oliver Perez, who is scheduled to start Wednesday, and Manager Jerry Manuel may be leaving himself open to second-guessing if the game is filled with miscues.

"You can practice, practice, practice, but eventually you have to play," Manuel said before Monday's game when asked why Sheffield would be playing for Church. "You have to get on the field. I do think that at this point, with him not playing a couple years in right field or any outfield, that we almost have to take it like a spring training deal."