After a successful 45-pitch bullpen session earlier today, Mets lefty Jon Niese is eyeing an April 6th return according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.
Niese is battling inflammation in his pitching elbow, and has been receiving treatment along with cortisone injections in an attempt to get back on the mound.
“It felt great,” Niese told ESPN. “It feels good to throw pitches without any pain or soreness, but we’ll see how it reacts tomorrow.”
Rubin goes on to report that Niese is slated to pitch in a minor-league game on Thursday, where he’ll throw anywhere from 55 to 60 pitches. If all goes well he’ll ramp up his pitch count in his next outing, culminating in a return to the mound during the Mets season-opening homestand.
“That’s the plan right now,” said the hopeful southpaw. “I don’t want to set anything in stone. That just sets up disappointment if there’s a setback.”
This is encouraging news for Mets fans– especially since we all feared the worst when hearing it was an elbow issue. Hopefully everything goes according to plan and this isn’t a reoccurring or nagging issue for Jonathan. With the absence of Matt Harvey, the Mets are going to lean heavily on him to anchor the rotation.
Read the rest of Rubin’s article here.
