The injury that forced Jonathon Niese out of Thursday’s game after only 3 1/3 innings of play has been revealed to be a partially torn left rotator cuff. No immediate surgery will be necessary, but two weeks rest and extreme caution has been advised.
Earlier, Mets manager Terry Collins recently announced to reporters that the cause of discomfort was “nothing severe,” but assistant general manager John Ricco recently corrected that statement declaring the true extent of the injury.
“Hopefully it will start healing itself and he won’t need surgery,” Ricco announced today. “It’s not ‘full thickness’ or a significant tear at this point.”
Niese has been placed on the 15-day disabled list and will put off surgery in the hopes that his shoulder will begin to heal on it’s own. In the meantime, the Mets have recalled submarine pitcher Greg Burke from Triple-A (AAA) Las Vegas to take his place.
Niese (3-6) has struggled throughout the season, obtaining an ERA of 4.32 throughout his 14 starts. Unfortunately for the 26 year old lefty, this is not the only problem he has faced recently. Throughout the season he has battled with neck and shoulder issues, an affliction the team labeled as tendenitis. And although these injury are reportedly unrelated, Niese’s recovery will still be closely monitored and reevaluated through an MRI in two weeks.
With Niese now sidelined the Mets will return to the tradition five-man rotation. They will start Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner and Shaun Marcum.
Thoughts from Joe D.
Back on June 3, Jon Niese had been scratched from his upcoming start that Saturday with what the Mets called left shoulder tendinitis.
Niese then revealed that he was unable to throw his typical bullpen session on Wednesday and had been feeling discomfort for his past few starts and was very sore after his most recent start.
He was examined Thursday morning at the Hospital for Special Surgery and an MRI revealed inflammation, but no structural damage.
At the time when I reported the news, it prompted me to write this:
“I’m no doctor, but if he was feeling sore after his last few starts, why were they still letting him pitch?”
So now we get this disappointing news that could ultimately wipeout the rest of Niese’s season. Some things never change…
Also, shame on manager Terry Collins who was downplaying the severity of this injury calling it “nothing severe” a few hours before the game to reporters.
His misinformation caused many of us to get the wrong news to our readers, after Collins had given us the “all’s good” sign on Niese and added that he would just rest for a few days and make a rehab start.
Terrible job by Terry Collins… Just awful…. Did he think the truth wouldn’t eventually come out?
Listen Terry… If you think a torn rotator cuff for a pitcher in not severe, then maybe you should consider stepping down as manager because you have no business overseeing the valuable arms in our rotation and bullpen.
