PORT ST. LUCIE — Jon Niese spent much of the offseason strengthening his previously damaged rotator cuff, but it came at a cost.
“I kind of neglected the other things,” the Mets left-hander said Friday upon his return to camp after undergoing an MRI exam on his shoulder in New York on Thursday.
Niese received the best possible verdict from the exam — no structural damage to the shoulder was detected — and will begin trying to strengthen the muscles in his upper back to alleviate the recent “pinching” sensation he has experienced.
“My shoulder blades are going kind of in the wrong direction,” Niese said. “My [scapular] muscles are a little weak and I’m going to work them out a little bit, and it should work itself out.”
The lefty expects to resume throwing Saturday, but is unsure when he will return to the mound. Last year, Niese missed seven weeks with a partially torn rotator cuff, but he was told Thursday the shoulder has improved.
“The MRI revealed that my shoulder this year is actually better than it was last year,” Niese said. “So everything is healed and everything is clean, just the fact there is little weak spots in the [back muscles].”
Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom each pitched two shutout innings against the Nationals. Both rookies are expected to begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, but are on the periphery of the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation.
“Both of them kind of settled down when they got comfortable out there and just made pitches,” manager Terry Collins said. “Travis [d’Arnaud] said both guys moved the ball around the strike zone very well. When you need them to pitch in, they got it in, kept the ball down for the most part. Two real good arms.”
Wilfredo Tovar felt a “grab” in his hamstring while running to first base in the seventh inning and was removed for precautionary reasons.