Jon Niese's MRI Comes Back Clean, Shoulder Is 'Perfect'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Mets received some terrific news on Thursday.
Starting pitcher Jon Niese, who is projected to get the ball on Opening Day, went to New York to get an MRI on his shoulder after telling manager Terry Collins that his arm feels "dead."
On Thursday, Collins told reporters that the MRI showed that the lefty's shoulder is clean.
The 27-year-old is expected to resume throwing upon returning to Port St. Lucie.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Niese's shoulder is "perfect."
"Batting practice started and he felt fine," Collins said on Wednesday. "And then he threw his second 20 pitches the other day. He just said at the end of it, 'Geez, my arm's just dead. Like, it's dead.'"
The skipper called the evaluation "a precaution."
"But any time you're sending someone for an MRI, obviously there's going to be a concern until you get the reading back," Collins said on Wednesday.
Looks like the organization can breathe a sigh of relief.
Niese started Opening Day last year against the Padres in Queens. He allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings and earned the win.
He'll reportedly start the opener on March 31 when the Mets take on the Nationals at Citi Field.
Bartolo Colon — who the Mets signed to a two-year, $20 million deal in December — is projected to start the second game of the season with Gee taking the hill in the third.
Zack Wheeler and the fifth starter will likely make their season debuts against the Reds in the second series, which will also be played at Citi Field.
Niese, who debuted with New York in 2008, went 8-8 with a 3.71 ERA in 143 innings pitched in 2013. He missed seven weeks of the season with a partially-torn rotator cuff.
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