The left-handed specialist may as well be an endangered species this season for the Mets. One southpaw after another has seen his season cut short by injury, first Josh Edgin (Tommy John surgery), then Jerry Blevins (broken forearm) and later Dario Alvarez (groin).
It opened up a spot for veteran left-handed starter Jon Niese, who so far has been immune to the curse of the Met left-handed reliever.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said after Tuesday’s workout at Citi Field. “I had a week, week-and-a-half to prepare. I’m ready.”
Niese, who had a roller-coaster season as a starter, going 9-10 with a 4.