MLB

Bartolo Colon to make debut as Met

Bartolo Colon kept a low profile for the Mets in spring training, but won’t be afforded such a luxury now.

The organization’s big offseason pitching acquisition — he was signed to a two-year contract worth $20 million in December to help fill the void created by Matt Harvey’s absence — will make his Mets debut Wednesday night against the Nationals at Citi Field.

The 40-year-old Colon didn’t waste time making an impression on teammates in spring training.

“He is a fearless pitcher who understands the pitching aspect of the game,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. “More importantly, he is a great teammate.”

Colon went 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA in 30 starts for the Athletics last season, after receiving a 50-game suspension in 2012 for testing positive for testosterone, a banned performance enhancing drug.

Colon had a delayed start to the Grapefruit League season after incurring soreness in his calf. But the right-hander still made three major-league exhibition starts in which he went 1-1 with a 5.28 ERA.

Manager Terry Collins used Colon in a minor-league exhibition on Thursday rather than expose him to the Nationals in a Grapefruit League game just six days before he would face them.


Jon Niese threw 76 pitches in a simulated game in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and allowed two earned runs on five hits over five innings with four strikeouts and one walk.

The left-hander is expected to pitch on Sunday against the Reds at Citi Field, provided he doesn’t have any soreness Wednesday.


Josh Satin is expected to start at first base Wednesday against Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez.

Ike Davis started at first base on Opening Day, and Collins has said he will soon find a start for Lucas Duda at the position.

Satin got off to a fast start in spring training, but slumped near the end. He blames a mechanical change for the drop-off.

“I was hot and then I wanted to try something and it didn’t work,” Satin said. “I was trying something with my hands and I hated it. I thought it would create a little more easy power, but it didn’t work for me. I scratched that and the last game in Montreal I went back to normal.”

Davis and Duda bring power potential to the lineup. The Mets value Satin for his penchant to work counts and reach base. Last year he batted .279 with a .376 on-base percentage in 190 at-bats for the Mets.

“I have a lot of respect for what [Davis and Duda] can do as players,” Satin said. “And I think together we can form a pretty formidable team.”


With it likely that Daniel Murphy will be placed on paternity leave for 1-3 days, the Mets have Wilmer Flores on standby. Murphy’s wife, Tori, gave birth to a boy, Noah, on Tuesday. It is the couple’s first child.