PORT ST. LUCIE — The real Opening Day starter is out for the year following Tommy John surgery. The replacement Opening Day starter flew back to New York Wednesday for an MRI exam on his left shoulder, a shoulder that gave him much trouble last season.
The big offseason pitching acquisition, Bartolo Colon, has tightness in his 40-year-old calf. The leadoff hitter, Eric Young Jr., has tightness in his side.
And it just so happened they were filming scenes for “Sharknado 2” at Citi Field on Wednesday.
With Mets spring training resembling a horror movie so far, exhibition games begin on Friday.
Jon Niese threw a wrench into the Mets’ plans Wednesday.
“When he threw his second 20 pitches the other day [of live batting practice], he said at the end of that, ‘My arm is dead,’ ” manager Terry Collins said.
Since this is way too early in spring training to have a dead arm, this is a major concern for the Mets, a team that has no room for error or injuries because of a tight budget.
Once again that familiar and always funny “Family Guy’’ Mets joke is in play: “Opening Day and here’s the first pitch … and the season’s over.’’
It’s certainly not that bad, but it is never good news when your Opening Day starter is complaining about a dead arm at the end of February and needs to fly back to New York to have a precautionary MRI exam.
The problem here is the Mets are counting on Niese for so much this season. He is the veteran bridge the young arms will roll across as the Mets begin a new phase of their development.
The lefty must step up this season so his record becomes as good as his stuff. He must produce wins.
“I felt a little fatigue in the shoulder and I’d rather be safe than sorry,’’ Niese said via a text message of the decision to get the MRI exam.
Yes, the Mets have a lot of good arms coming, but Niese is already an investment arm, and with Matt Harvey out for the season as a result of Tommy John surgery, the Mets are once again behind the pitching eight-ball before even one pitch has been thrown in an exhibition game.
And that’s what hurts most of all.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen said he was encouraged Niese’s pain was more in the triceps area than in the shoulder area. That’s the good news. Collins said the same thing.
“It’s early, we don’t want to take any chances,’’ Warthen said. “We noticed he was getting under a lot of balls in long toss [Tuesday].’’
If you are getting “under’’ the baseball that means you cannot get your arm in the proper throwing position. Considering Niese’s history that includes a partially torn rotator cuff in 2013, a precautionary MRI exam is mandatory at the slightest hint of trouble.
On Sunday, Niese went bowling. This is the year the Mets need him to bowl over the competition.
Niese, 27, was 8-8 last season with a 3.71 ERA, one year after signing a five-year, $25.5 million contract. He has yet to break the 200-inning level in his career.
It was not a good day on the health front for the Mets. Colon has tightness in his calf, and at the age of 40, you can’t be too cautious. And Young has tightness in his side.
Zack Wheeler might be the Opening Day starter if Niese is not up to par, but that is still a long way off. The Mets start playing exhibition games Friday when they host the Nationals at Tradition Field. Wheeler threw a live batting practice session Wednesday and he nearly got nailed by a line drive off the bat of infielder Daniel Muno.
“Luckily, I didn’t get hit in the knee,’’ Wheeler said. Asked how he felt on the mound, Wheeler shook his head and said, “Terrible.’’
At least he came out of the day in one piece. When it rains sharks, it pours.