SAN DIEGO -- Eighteen days after Ryan Church suffered a concussion, he and the Mets are certain of this: He will participate in neither of the last two games of the current trip, he will be examined by a neurologist after the Mets return to New York, little about his medical situation is particularly encouraging and concern exists in the clubhouse for the 29-year-old outfielder.

One day after Church experienced a pulsating sensation on both sides of his head, his situation had reverted to where it had been several times since the concussion, to a point of uncertain prognosis and discussion of assigning him to the disabled list.

Church reported to PETCO Park mid-afternoon on Saturday for the third game of the Mets series against the Padres. He already knew he would be excluded from the lineup -- for the third time in four games -- and would not play for the ninth time in the 18 games the Mets have played since the concussion. He had been in contact with New York-based neurologists during the day but hadn't been examined since the team arrived in San Francisco early Monday, despite uncommon fatigue, a symptom of concussions.

The pulsating sensation he characterized as "a heartbeat in my head" had developed during Friday night's game. It was a new symptom for the right fielder, who has endured two concussions this year, the first occurring in a Spring Training exhibition game on March 1 when he and Marlon Anderson collided in pursuit of a popup.

The more recent concussion happened on May 20 on the final play of a doubleheader in Atlanta. Church slid to the center-field side of second base in an attempt to break up the game-ending double play. His head collided with the knee of Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar. Church said the second incident was "nothing like the first one" i.e., not as severe. But he has been bothered periodically since then by fatigue, dizziness and sensitivity to light; and now the unprecedented -- for him -- pulsating sensation.

He had asked out of the lineup on Wednesday in San Francisco because of fatigue. He had complained of fatigue the previous afternoon before playing nine innings, saying he felt "like I don't have my legs under me." His absence from the lineup on Friday night was based on similar feelings.

The pulsating began during the game Friday, and when Mets manager Willie Randolph asked him if he could pinch-hit, he said no. A teammate said on Friday that Church was suffering from vertigo -- compromised balance. But Church didn't mention vertigo on Saturday. Randolph said Saturday that Church had said he had felt "pressure." Church later explained the pressure and the "heartbeat in my head" were one and the same.

He seemed more alert and spontaneous than he had in three days as he spoke with reporters on Saturday. He had been quite brief in his postgame comments on Friday. "The bottom line is Willie asked me if I could go, and I said 'No,'"Church said. "That's it. ... I just wasn't able to [pinch-]hit."

"We can only go by how he feels," Randolph said on Saturday. "We considered the DL but decided to wait. No one knows a lot about it."

When questions were posed about how the club had dealt with the situation, the manager said, "We felt like we handled it the right way."

Church said, "Nobody's at fault."

He had been told to anticipate episodes of symptoms. He said, "I get these spells." He said he wouldn't play under any circumstances on Saturday or Sunday. "I'm not going to risk going out there," he said, and added, "I'm going to be all right. It takes time."