NEW YORK -- Ryan Church was removed from the Mets' depleted lineup Sunday night because he felt nauseous, leaving New York without yet another regular starter.
Fernando Tatis replaced Church in the order, batting fifth and playing left field. Gary Sheffield shifted from left to Church's spot in right against the Yankees, who were going for a three-game sweep at Citi Field.
Church, who was in the original lineup, looked miserable as he sat slumped in front of his locker with a hooded sweat shirt pulled over his head. He sipped on a tall drink that appeared to be ginger ale with ice.
Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Church had a stomachache and there was no reason to think his nausea had anything to do with the post-concussion symptoms that hampered him for much of last season.
A flu bug went around the Yankees' clubhouse all weekend, with Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon among those who were sick.
The Mets are missing three injured stars: Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran.
Fielding a makeshift lineup, they managed three hits in Friday night's 9-1 loss to the Yankees and one on Saturday during a 5-0 defeat.
"This is the most crucial period that we're getting ready to go through," manager Jerry Manuel said before Sunday's game. "We're going on the road. We're playing teams that are playing very well. ... We have to in any form or fashion survive these games because we feel that after this there's hope, there's other people coming to help us out."
The Mets did get some good news about injured pitcher Oliver Perez, who tossed five shutout innings for Class-A Brooklyn in a rehab start. Sidelined since May 3 with tendinitis in his right knee, the left-hander allowed two hits and one walk with six strikeouts against Hudson Valley. He threw 72 pitches.
Church began the day batting .267 with two homers and 18 RBIs. He was in an 0-for-11 slide after going 3 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs in Wednesday's 11-0 rout of St. Louis.
The Mets entered Sunday night's game with a 37-36 record, two games behind first-place Philadelphia in the NL East. Manuel, who has said he'll get especially concerned about his injury-riddled team if it falls below .500, was asked if the Mets must add a hitter soon in order to stay close in the pennant race.
"If we get below that mark and we continue to struggle offensively as we are, I think that's a no-brainer," Manuel said. "I think that has to be visited or talked about at some point. It would be dishonest if I said no."