The 27-year-old lefty will head back to New York for the exam.
Expected Opening Day starter Jon Niese will have an MRI on his left shoulder in New York. Niese missed a chunk of last season after a partial tear of his rotator cuff, but he was very effective once he returned later in the year. This time, the soreness is in a different place than the pain he experienced last year.
It's far too early to jump to conclusions, but it's never good news to hear a pitcher is scheduled to undergo an MRI, especially on his shoulder. If Niese misses any time as a result of the injury, that opens the door for Daisuke Matsuzaka or John Lannan to make the team's Opening Day roster.
Of course, Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard don't figure to be far behind, but it would be a surprise if the Mets put either pitcher on the big league roster before at least the date that the team would gain an extra year of control on either pitcher, sometimes in mid-to-late April.
