Jon Niese looked better in start No. 2.
After experiencing fatigue and laboring in the later half of his last start, Jon Niese looked much better against the Braves on Friday. Niese went 3.2 innings pitched, exiting only after a two-out error by first baseman Eric Campbell, allowing no runs on three hits, one walk while striking out three.
Niese finished the day with 63 pitches, after throwing 52 in his first start. Fatigue did not seem to be an issue for Niese at all today as it did in his first start, which tells us that is arm is already getting stretched out for the season.
Niese spoke on the SNY telecast after his performance, saying he felt good and was happy with the way he mixed in his pitches.
Wilmer Flores is raking.
No matter how he performs, Wilmer Flores seems to be all-but-guaranteed to be the Mets starting shortstop on Opening Day as long as he stays healthy. All things considered, this may be a good thing, too, seeing as how Flores has been absolutely tearing the cover off of the ball lately.
After taking a ball that was in on his hands and ripping it into left field for a single in the 1st inning, Flores smacked a double in the 2nd and then proceeded to blast a three-run home run to left in the 3rd, as he fell a triple shy of the cycle.
To date, Flores is hitting .455 with a home run and 5 RBI in Grapefruit League play.
The left-handed reliever spot is still wide open.
With the injury to Josh Edgin, the Mets roster spot for a left-handed reliever is wide open, and there continues to be a lack of a stand-out. After Dario Alvarez allowed four runs in yesterday’s game while retiring no one, it was Sean Gilmartin‘s turn today to help his own cause.
Gilmartin went 1.2 innings in relief, allowing a run on two hits and two walks while striking out a single batter. Left-handed hitters went 0-1 against Gilmartin, but he walked a pair of them, while righties were 2-for-5 against the lefty.
Jack Leathersich got his shot as well, pitching 0.2 innings allowing no runs and a hit while striking out one. For me, the biggest key for Leathersich here is that zero in the walks column. If Leathersich can somehow keep the ball in the strike zone, something he’s struggled with in his career, all while getting hitters out, maybe, just maybe, he can become a serious contender to make the team.
The four left-handers vying to replace Edgin in the bullpen–Scott Rice, Dario Alvarez, Sean Gilmartin and Jack Leathersich–have a combined 13.66 ERA thus far in Spring Training.
Other Notes:
John Mayberry Jr. continues his hot start, ripping an RBI double in the 1st inning.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis continues to hit, going 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
The Mets are second in team batting average (.299) and first in team on-base percentage (.386) during Spring Training.
Injury News:
It was revealed immediately after the game that both Zack Wheeler and Vic Black are dealing with injuries. You can read more about this here.
Just Mets 