Mets activate Alou, Anderson, place Church on DL

NEW YORK -- Moises Alou was activated from the disabled list by the New York Mets and penciled into the starting lineup Tuesday night against Arizona.

Utility man and pinch-hitting specialist Marlon Anderson also was reinstated by the Mets, who finally put right fielder Ryan Church on the 15-day DL with post-concussion syndrome.

The oft-injured Alou, sidelined since May 22 with a strained left calf, played left field and batted sixth against the NL West-leading Diamondbacks. He hit a two-run single on the first pitch he saw from Micah Owings in the first inning.

Anderson, who had been on the DL since May 24 with a left hamstring injury, was available off the bench.

Church stayed home to rest. He was placed on the disabled list retroactive to last Friday, but the move came curiously late -- three weeks after he sustained his second concussion in less than three months.

"We follow the advice of our doctors," general manager Omar Minaya said. "We've acted on the expert advice of those doctors."

Church missed 11 straight starts but pinch hit four times during that span before returning to the lineup with a homer and three hits June 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He felt particularly uncomfortable on team flights, however, and hasn't played since going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Thursday night in San Diego.

His most recent exam with a neurologist Monday didn't show dizziness or any major symptoms, the Mets said. But Church doesn't feel 100 percent, and the club decided to hold him out for a while.

On Tuesday, Minaya defended the way the Mets have handled Church's injury and pointed out that New York center fielder Carlos Beltran played through a serious concussion in 2005.

"What I've been told about concussions," Minaya said, "these things come and go sometimes. It's one of those things where each patient reacts differently. ... This time around, we didn't want to wait around on the day-to-day situation."

While trying to break up a game-ending double play May 20 in Atlanta, Church took an accidental knee to the head from Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar and was diagnosed with a mild concussion.

Church sat out the following day, then singled as a pinch hitter on May 22.