According to the New York Daily News, Ryan Church will make his long awaited return to the Mets on Friday, however, Manager Jerry Manuel has said that it is not a given he will immediately return to his starting role:
“When he does come back, we don’t have to rely on him playing every single day…It depends on how he feels…We feel very confident in the young players we have in left field, and also with Tatis in right…I feel very good with what they have done.”
This makes complete sense. First off, it makes sure you're not rushing Church back in to too much activity. Second off, it allows Murphy and Tatis the comfort of knowing that their production HAS meant something to the team. I think that Manuel is going to ride the hot hands...Church will get a chance to work his way into the starting lineup, but he will have to be productive to stay there. The added depth is going to be extremely helpful to this team. Welcome back, Ryan!