HOUSTON -- Less than a week after Jerry Manuel named Fernando Tatis his everyday left fielder, the Mets manager officially changed his mind. Tatis won't be playing much more left field at all, in fact, now that Manuel has decided to divide the duties between rookies Nick Evans and Daniel Murphy.

"Got to give them a shot," Manuel said. "Developmental people feel very good about them. We'd like to see what they can do."

So Evans and Murphy will settle into something of a left-field platoon, while Tatis -- at least until Ryan Church fully recovers from his post-concussion syndrome -- will take over as the everyday right fielder. Against the left-handed Randy Wolf in Sunday's series finale at Minute Maid Park, Evans is scheduled to earn his second start of the week.

For a team that consistently ranks among the oldest in the Majors, using a rookie platoon in left field might seem a bit unorthodox. Or at least a bit ambitious. But both Manuel and Mets vice president of player development Tony Bernazard insisted that these are Major League-ready players who are quite prepared to help out the team.

Murphy, for one, is the team's most polished Minor League hitter -- or was, rather, until the Mets called him up to the Majors on Saturday. And Evans has been at the big league level twice already, most recently helping the Mets in a pinch-hitting role. The two of them bring energy, hitting aptitude, and -- of course -- youth.

"We've seen Mr. Evans, that he runs the bases real well even though he's not an Olympic sprinter," Bernazard said. "They have learned, and they continue to learn here."

Same goes for Tatis, a 33-year-old veteran who has carved out a significant role by doing nothing other than hitting. He's hit so much, in fact, that he has soared past incumbent backup outfielder Endy Chavez on the depth chart and is now starting over him in right field. Chavez will remain with the Mets as their fourth outfielder, backing up Tatis in right, the rookie platoon in left and -- on rare occasions -- Carlos Beltran in center.

Without Chavez in the regular outfield alignment, of course, the Mets' team defense might take a hit. But perhaps not on Sunday, with a strikeout pitcher, Oliver Perez, on the mound. Perez has fanned 44 batters over his past 39 2/3 innings and has compiled a 1.36 ERA during that stretch. Filling in for the injured John Maine, he'll start Sunday's game on regular rest, opposite Wolf.

Pitching matchup
NYM: LHP Oliver Perez (7-6, 4.02 ERA)
Perez, who's replacing the sore-shouldered John Maine, will pitch on regular rest thanks to an off-day on Thursday. Despite the relative brevity of his outing on Tuesday -- Perez had lasted at least seven innings in three of his previous five starts. He was every bit as effective as he has been in recent weeks. Over his six most recent outings, Perez has posted a 1.36 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 15 walks.

HOU: LHP Randy Wolf (6-10, 4.79 ERA)
Wolf slides in behind Oswalt, which means he gets an extra two days of rest before this start. Wolf made his Astros debut in Milwaukee on July 27, allowing four runs (three earned) over 4 1/3 innings. Wolf faced the Mets once this year while with the Padres, allowing one run over seven inning in a winning effort. Wolf has good career numbers against the Mets -- 10 wins, five losses and a 3.35 ERA over 26 starts.

Tidbits
Pedro Martinez reported no ill effects the afternoon following his first start in 20 days. He is scheduled to pitch again Wednesday. ... Luis Castillo is scheduled to play five innings at second base on Sunday for the Gulf Coast League Mets, marking his first appearance in the field since hitting the disabled list with a strained left hip flexor last month. ... Church will travel with the Mets back to New York on Sunday, though he should begin a Minor League rehab assignment shortly thereafter. ... Orlando Hernandez is still waiting for a special boot for his surgically repaired right foot before he can resume pitching.

Tickets
 Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.

On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• CW11

On radio
• WFAN 660, WADO 1280 (Español)

Up next
• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Mets (Mike Pelfrey, 9-7, 3.91) vs. Padres (Chris Young, 4-4, 4.12), 7:10 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Mets (Pedro Martinez, 3-2, 6.16) vs. Padres (Cha Seung Baek, 3-6, 5.22), 7:10 p.m. ET