by ADAM RUBIN, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS , The Star-Ledger

Perez struggled with control during a rehab start last night with Triple-A Buffalo, walking four and throwing only 46 of 92 pitches for strikes in five-plus innings. Still, the southpaw won't be required to make any more minor-league appearances, a team source told the Daily News. Perez should be ready to return as soon as Wednesday against the Dodgers at Citi Field. A team insider said Tim Redding's roster spot is not in jeopardy, so he appears headed to the bullpen.

Perez, who signed a three-year, $36 million deal last offseason, landed on the DL with right knee inflammation and a 9.97 ERA on May 7.

"That's not my decision," Perez said in Buffalo about rejoining the Mets . "I threw almost 100 pitches, and I'm ready to go, but I don't know what they're going to decide. You tell me to go tomorrow, I'm ready to go tomorrow. . . . The most important thing is I'm feeling real good and I'm not thinking about my knee. I was feeling really strong. I think I'm ready. I was a little wild, but more important I feel strong."

Perez took a scoreless effort into the fifth last night, when he allowed a home run on the first pitch of the inning. He surrendered consecutive doubles to open the sixth and departed, having reached his pitch count. Once reliever Kyle Snyder allowed an inherited runner to score, Perez was charged with three runs on five hits in Buffalo's 6-2 loss to Rochester.

Meanwhile, the other missing member of the rotation remains far off from returning. John Maine, who had been shut down from throwing since receiving a second cortisone shot in the back of his right shoulder, tossed a Baseball for the first time yesterday in New York. He'll repeat that every other day for the next week, but team officials are now treating him so gingerly that he's not even permitted to do any arm exercises for at least another week. Returning to a mound would be a hurdle beyond that, as would building up arm strength again for starting. So reentering the rotation shortly after the All-Star break appears highly unrealistic.

"The bottom line is it's still going to be some time," GM Omar Minaya said.

Fernando Martinez limped around the clubhouse yesterday afternoon, and revealed that he has felt pain because of ligament trouble behind his right knee for a week. Martinez said he had the same trouble when he played in the minors in 2006. Martinez had yet to be examined by a doctor, he said, but that could come after the weekend.

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