(Photo by Metsmerized Online)
12:20 PM
Adam Rubin reports:
Left-hander Jonathon Niese has been cleared to resume throwing after undergoing a favorable medical examination in New York, multiple sources with ties to the team told ESPN New York.
Rubin says that Niese did receive a cortisone injection for some inflammation, but that everything is pretty much good and his UCL was intact.
Wow, the luck of the Irish was with Jon O’Niese…
Awesome…
10:00 AM
From Adam Rubin:
The Mets have not yet learned the severity of Jonathon Niese’s elbow injury. And they have not yet shared their plan with Niese, so the information is sensitive. But even if Niese’s elbow issue ends up being minimal, the southpaw is expected to open the season on the disabled list, a team insider told ESPNNewYork.com.
The Mets do not need a fifth starter until April 6, writes Rubin, and that would be the day Niese would be eligible to be activated from the disabled list.
5:00 AM
After Jon Niese didn’t come out to pitch the third inning in Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, the team announced that he left the game with left elbow soreness.
Niese told reporters that he believes he hyperextended the elbow and that he had been rehabbing it.
“It’s in the back of the elbow, which is good. I’m almost 100 percent sure it’s nothing serious like Tommy John or anything. It’s just a little discomfort. I wanted to go back out there. It’s something that I could definitely pitch through.”
Nevertheless, he will be flying to New York on Monday for an MRI and to meet with team doctors.
The Mets lefthander already missed almost two weeks of spring training with what the Mets diagnosed as shoulder fatigue. This new issue could be the result of putting additional stress on the elbow to compensate for the shoulder soreness.
“It’s a spring training from hell,” Niese said.
Niese looked very uncomfortable when he completed the second inning and walked back to the dugout. He allowed two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out one in only his second spring training start, and was replaced by Buddy Carlyle.
He was tentatively on target to be the Mets’ opening day starter, but that might now be scuttled.
Terry Collins said it’s likely either Bartolo Colon or Dillon Gee would go Opening Day if Niese isn’t ready. Sandy Alderson said it would be Colon.
If Niese is shelved, and we don’t know that yet, this could open the door for Jenrry Mejia in the rotation.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Niese, but the beat reporters are saying ithis doesn’t look good for the Mets who are already operating without their ace Matt Harvey.
