Terry Collins said Tuesday's rainout, which created the need for a spot starter anyway, afforded the opportunity for Chris Young's start to be delayed two days because of right biceps tendinitis.

Young will start Sunday in Atlanta, with the Mets prepared to use D.J. Carrasco for Friday's series opener in Atlanta, unless heavy bullpen use the remainder of the current series against the Rockies forces an alternate plan. The Mets need a spot starter because Tuesday's rainout has resulted in six games in five days.

"After his last start, the next day he was a little tender. So we had him looked at," Collins said about Young. "He had some little tendinitis setting in. So I went to him yesterday and talked about the possibility of moving him back to Sunday. He thought that would work. All along he said, 'I can pitch Friday if you want.' I said, 'It's April ... I think we'll make sure you're there on June 20th."

Young made three September starts with the San Diego Padres last season after missing most of the year with shoulder issues related to Aug. 17, 2009 surgery, although this is a different area entirely. Collins said no tests, such as an MRI, were planned.

"It was unnecessary," Collins said about the imaging tests. "The doctors, both guys, just said that's all it is [tendinitis]."

Young limited the Washington Nationals to one run on one hit and two walks in a 108-pitch effort over seven innings Sunday, but Carrasco and the bullpen could not hold it. Young's contract was specifically structured to account for the possibility of injury. He has a $1.1 million base salary, with incentives that could raise it to a maximum of $4.5 million if he makes 31 starts and pitches 180 innings.

Collins hopes Carrasco can throw 75-80 pitches -- "which you would hope would be five innings," the manager added. Carrasco's longest spring-training outing was four innings, but that came on March 25 -- nearly three weeks ago. The Braves saw him three times in a 10-day stretch during spring training, which also is not ideal.