PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — With New
York ace Johan Santana set to begin the season on the disabled list with what
is being described as shoulder weakness, skipper Terry Collins has decided to
give the Opening Day nod to left-hander Jon Niese.
Niese’s development continued along
nicely last season as he posted career highs in just about every statistical
category, finishing the year with a 3.40 ERA while registering 155 punch outs
in 190 1/3 innings pitched.
Also factoring in the decision is
the strong Spring Training that Niese has put together thus far. Up to this
point, he has pitched to a 0.71 ERA, the best mark in baseball.
“I’m really excited, obviously,
for getting this opportunity,” Niese said. “I want to thank the
Mets for putting the trust in me to have this opportunity. But I’m going to
treat it as any other start.”
The game will mark the first
Opening Day start of Niese’s career. If Niese is able to seize the opportunity
and put together another solid season this year, it may not be his last Opening
Day start either.
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