According to Ken Davidoff, Omar Minaya said that as of now, Nieve is penciled in as the fifth starter in the rotation. Davidoff further clarifies that Nieve is ahead of Jon Niese as the Mets “want to take it slow” with Niese.
He also mentioned that the Mets still want to add another arm, be it John Smoltz, Jon Garland or Ben Sheets (not in that order).
This list was put together by reader and friend David Cancel. It lists the date, the player, the injury and where it took place. It’s long and excruciating. Take a look.
Yikes.
Thanks, David!
SI/SNY/WFAN’s Jon Heyman just posted this to his Twitter…
minaya, manuel have been told by mets boss jeff wilpon they wont be fired over this painful season.
Very interesting
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Heyman also just tweeted that Fernando Nieve has a tear in his quadriceps muscle.
We already knew he was heading to the DL, as Cory Sullivan is en route to D.C. as I write this, but no one knew how bad the injury was.
I really feel bad for Nieve. He was getting a chance and making the most of it. And now he’s down with an serious injury.
Cory Sullivan, who was signed to a major league contract before spring training, is en route to Washington D.C. to take the roster spot of Fernando Nieve. Nieve, to make room, was placed on the 15-day DL.
Sullivan, with the Buffalo Bisons the entire year, was batting .290 AVG / .352 OBP with 16 doubles, two home runs, and 24 RBIs in 85 games.
According to Bart Hubbuch, Jerry Manuel said Sullivan was promoted over Nick Evans because Sullivan is more versatile. Sullivan can play every outfield position, with most of his time coming in center field.
On to the lineup, still noticeably absent of Gary Sheffield…
Game Chat will go live at 7 p.m.
Another day, two more Mets losses. One gets notched up in the loss column, the other scratches a player off the roster.
Fernando Nieve went down in the bottom of the second inning trying to leg out a groundball. His foot landed on first base awkwardly and he went down in heap on the first base line. He was said to have a right quadriceps strain, but more will be revealed after an MRI today.
One has to feel terribly for Nieve who was making the most of his chance at the big league level.
Now, the Mets have a choice to make: Nelson Figueroa, the journeyman pitcher they’ve designated for assignment twice in 2009, or Jon Niese, the young prospect who has seen the majors with little success so far, but is mowing down the International League.
Figueroa, who pitched once for the Mets in 2009, despite being called up twice, turned in a quality start against the Milwaukee Brewers before being DFA’d the first time. For Triple-A Buffalo, Figueroa was the team’s lone All-Star representative.
For the months of June and July, Figueroa made eight starts, winning six of them. His ERA was a miniscule 1.41, with a WHIP below 1.000 at 0.998.
Niese made two starts for the Mets in 2009. In 10 2-3 innings, he surrendered 14 hits and seven earned runs. But over June and July for Buffalo, he was equally impressive as Figueroa.
In the past two months, Niese has made nine starts, winning five. His ERA over the past three games is an unbelievable 0.41, as he allowed only one earned run in his last 22 innings.
If the Mets choose Figueroa to fill the roster spot, I feel that it will signal that they still believe they can compete in 2009 and want a “veteran” to come up to fill the spot. If they opt for Niese, it would seem that they are planning ahead for 2010 and will let Niese progress at the major league level, a la Mike Pelfrey a few years ago.
Though the Mets have two solid options waiting in upstate New York, whichever player they choose will show their attitude for the 2009 season.
GOOD
BAD & UGLY
Game Ball: Ryan Church
After a long time off, I’m back with another edition of The State of the Mets.
Today, I discuss the injury bug, Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans and update you on John Maine and Oliver Perez.
The Mets were on the right side of this laugher.
The New York Mets (36-34) beat the St. Louis Cardinals (40-33) by a score of 11-0.
Fernando Nieve was stellar once more. Six shutout innings, allowing only three hits and four walks, he continues to impress. Nieve struck out three as well. He is now 3-0 in three starts.
How good has this guy been? Keep it up, Snow!
Brian Stokes, Pat Misch and Bobby Parnell stitched together three innings of scoreless relief to preserve the shutout.
David Wright: 4-4, 2B, 3 R. Ryan Church: 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R. Fernando Tatis: 2-4, 3 RBI, 1 R. Nick Evans: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R. Brian Schneider: 1-4, 2 RBI.
Wow.
-Jerry Manuel on Fernando Nieve
On a sunny day in NYC, it snowed. Or at least, Fernando Nieve pitched, and pitched well.
The New York Mets (34-31) beat the Tampa Bay Rays (35-34) by a score of 5-3.
Nieve, which is Spanish for “snow,” had another stellar outing for the Mets. Over six innings, Nieve held the Rays to only three hits and one earned run. He walked three and struck out four. The one run came in the sixth when Carlos Pena hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring B.J. Upton.
Two times out, two great starts. Keep pitching him, please.
Bobby Parnell started the 7th, walking the first batter and allowing a hit to the second before tallying two outs, including striking out Pat Burrell. He then let up a two-run double to Upton, bringing the Rays within one. Pedro Feliciano finished out the 7th and Sean Green pitched a scoreless 8th.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn the save and close out the win.
Bounces right back. Great stuff.
Brian Schneider got the Mets off to a quick start with a three-run home run in the second inning. It was Schneider’s first home run of the season and the first since Sept. 18, 2008.
David Wright picked up his only hit of the night with an RBI double in the third inning, plating Alex Cora.
He also struck out three times. It’s one or the other, isn’t it David?
Ryan Church provided an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th, driving in Carlos Beltran with an RBI single.
Could have been two.
The New York Mets (32-28) beat the New York Yankees (35-27) by a score of 6-2.
Fernando Nieve, making his first start for the New York Mets, turned out a spectacular performance. Six and two-third innings, Nieve allowed only four hits and two earned runs. He walked two and struck out two.
Nieve allowed a solo home run to Alex Rodriguez in the second inning. Another run was charged to Nieve when Sean Green relieved him in the seventh inning.
Just a shocking start from Nieve. Did not see that one coming, that’s for sure.
Green turned in 1 1-3 innings, allowing only one hit while striking out one.
Francisco Rodriguez struck out one in the 9th inning, sealing the game in a non-save situation.
The Mets got on the board early, the second inning, with a two-run shot off the bat of Omir Santos.
Four hits drove in three runs for the Mets in the fifth inning. Gary Sheffield and Santos each picked up RBI hits and Fernando Tatis hit an RBI groundout.
Sheffield added to the lead in the 7th with a solo home run to left field.
Sheffield went 2-5 with two RBI and a run scored on the same day it was announced he would be getting an MRI on his ailing right knee. Interesting.
Fernando Nieve, recently called up to replace J.J. Putz, will be tabbed for the start on Saturday. Nieve will be pitching in place of John Maine, put on the DL last night with dead arm.
Nieve, a righty, has started five games with Buffalo and is 3-0 on the season. He allowed 10 earned runs in 24 1-3 innings for a 3.75 ERA and a WHIP of 1.167. Nieve has walked 10 and struck out 23, allowing 18 hits.
With Double-A Binghamton this season, Nieve made four starts and appeared in one other game. In 18 1-3 innings, he has a 5.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He allowed 10 earned runs, walked six and struck out 19.
He pitched two innings of mop-up duty, ironically in a game that Maine started, back on June 26. Nieve allowed one hit over the two innings on the bump, striking out two.
To replace Maine on the roster, the Mets called up lefty Jon Switzer.
Switzer is 0-2 in 25 1-3 innings with the Bisons. He has a 2.13 ERA, allowing 10 runs, six earned. He’s walked nine and struck out 29 batters. Switzer has a 1.20 WHIP in 2009.
Previously in Boston’s minor league system last year, Switzer has pitched in the majors in four different seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 68 career games, he has a 6.11 ERA and a 1.794 WHIP.
The Mets have promoted Fernando Nieve from Triple-A Buffalo to take J.J. Putz’s spot on the roster. Putz has been placed on the 15-day DL.
Nieve, a righty, has started five games with Buffalo and is 3-0 on the seaosn. He allowed 10 earned runs in 24 1-3 innings for a 3.75 ERA and a WHIP of 1.167. Nieve has walked 10 and struck out 23, allowing 18 hits.
With Double-A Binghamton this season, Nieve made four starts and appeared in one other game. In 18 1-3 innings, he has a 5.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He allowed 10 earned runs, walked six and struck out 19.
The Mets now have three “Fernando’s” on the roster.
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In a related move, the Mets have claimed Pat Misch off of waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
Misch will be optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, likely replacing whomever gets the call to the big leagues. Billy Wagner was moved to the 60-day DL to make room for Misch on the 40-man roster, according to Bart Hubbuch.
In four games with the Giants in 2009, Misch allowed six hits and four earned runs in 3 1-3 innings. He has a 10.80 ERA and 2.700 WHIP.
