Niese Has Partial Rotator Cuff Tear
Jon Niese will miss the next couple of weeks with a partial tear of his rotator cuff.
Jonathon Niese has been diagnosed with a partially torn rotator cuff, although surgery is not immediately being recommended, assistant general manager John Ricco said.
The diagnosis came after Niese was examined by team doctor David Altchek on Friday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.
Niese had departed a start on Thursday in Atlanta in the fourth inning, after experiencing pain in his pitching shoulder and a drop in velocity while delivering pitches to Tyler Pastornicky.
The southpaw landed on the disabled list Friday.
The Mets called up submariner Greg Burke to take Niese’s roster spot.
He doesn’t need surgery…yet. The team will try to treat the injury with rest and physical therapy – pretty standard procedure. Surgery is always the last option.
One wonders if Niese’s outings in arctic conditions in Minneapolis/St. Paul and Denver had anything to do with his shoulder troubles. He’s also struggled with his arm angle, which may have either caused or been a result of shoulder discomfort.
It’s a shame this happened just when the starting rotation, present and future, was starting to come together. It will be up to Gee, Marcum, and Hefner to step it up.
Who knows how serious this is yet, but any shoulder injury is disconcerting.
In addition to Harvey, Wheeler, Syndgaard, Montero should also be untouchable because the sad reality probably only one will reach his full potential long-term. It’s a numbers game I’d rather have four top tier arms than three or two.
Volatile as it may be, the Mets need to build their future around SP. Harvey and Wheeler are a start, but especially now with Niese both a short and potentially long-term problem, they shouldn’t trade any pitching prospect who could MLB ready within the next 18 mos.
They should give the Lagares, Brown’s, Satin’s, Lutz’s AB’s and playing time going forward. It’s time to see what these guys can do playing regularly..
No, it wouldn’t and it would weaken our potential rotation during that time. I don’t see us getting a Carlos Gonzalez or Giancarlo Stanton so I used Ethier as an example. Those four leading a rotation by mid-2014 would be formidable and exciting to watch. It’s better to build around a potential top-5 rotation than it is weakening that strength to create the illusion of competitveness by trading for a player who could put up good numbers but make very little difference improving a team brought down by mediocre pitching.
I’d rather take my chances with a team scratching out wins with a staff that only gives up 2-3 runs a game vs. a fairly good hitting team that is done in by mediocre or worse pitching 2-3 times a week..
Why not give Montero a few starts to see how he does? I saw how well he pitched in a spring training game. Solid poise, good control, wasn’t ruffled by runners on base, very mature for his age.
I’ve seen it mentioned here that Alderson wants Selig’s job, egads, what a catastrophe for players. He’s made it quite clear that he’s a owner/management adherent, with players the “problem” [at least on the Mets]. If he’s running the Mets the way he would run all of baseball, look out players.
Hopefully Young Jr. will do better than the other waiver wire pick-ups, all these pick-ups take at bats/playing time away from the youngsters who should be gaining experience playing, not sitting on the bench.
Dan B., there are other pitchers to trade other than the highly touted, never haver enough piching. Luckily the Mets are loaded with good young pitching.
I’ve been one of the voices saying that Alderson was hoping to replace Selig (if he ever truly retires) at some point. Your statement that Alderson is “a owner/management adherent” would hold true for any Selig replacement. The days of a Bart Giamatti or Faye Vincent are gone. The owners pick the Commissioner and they’re not going to pick anyone who places the players interests, or even the games interests, above their own.
The Mets have the chance to have a potentially devastating young pitching staff by mid-season next year with the addition of Montero and Syndgaard to the duo of Harvey and Wheeler. Sure one of them might flame out, another be plagued by arm trouble but it’s a risk worth taking. If they trade any pitcher it should be Parnell, and they should offer him to Detroit for Castellanos, their top prospect. The Tigers are desperate for a closer. Castellanos could be a difference maker in the OF and replace Flores bat should the team trade him.
I would give up a decent prospect for Ethier and take on his whole salary, then sign a free agent (Choo, Ellsbury, Hart, Pence, Granderson, in that order) to fill the other spot. We need two middle of the order hitters. This way you fill them and lose just one prospect. IMO