MLB

THIGH TEAR KOS NIEVE SIX WEEKS

WASHINGTON — The Mets’ disabled list is back to nine players after starter Fernando Nieve was sidelined for at least six weeks yesterday by what the team says is a torn muscle in his right thigh.

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The Mets plan to promote young left-hander Jonathon Niese to take Nieve’s spot in the rotation, although that turn isn’t until Saturday in Houston.

With Gary Sheffield still hobbled by hamstring woes, the Mets didn’t want to continue playing short-handed, so they promoted outfielder Cory Sullivan from Triple-A Buffalo to fill Nieve’s roster spot until this weekend.

Nieve, who had been a rotation bright spot since his surprise promotion in early June, suffered the injury running out a ground ball in the second inning Sunday in Atlanta. The torn muscle was revealed by an MRI exam in New York yesterday.

Niese, meanwhile, is headed for a promotion after posting a 5-0 record and 0.72 ERA in his past seven starts at Buffalo, including two complete-game shutouts.

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Manager Jerry Manuel said Sheffield will be out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive game tonight after Sheffield revealed he is suffering from an electrolyte imbalance.

The imbalance is causing continued soreness and cramping, Sheffield said.

“I had this [imbalance] in spring training last year, and nobody knew what it was, I was cramping up every time I’d try to run,” Sheffield said. “They told me my electrolytes were off. This is the same thing.”

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Jose Reyes ran on his ailing right hamstring in Port St. Lucie yesterday, and GM Omar Minaya called it “a good day [of] running” for the shortstop.

Reyes didn’t run the bases, however, still the biggest obstacle in his hoped-for return.