Jon Niese saw his first game action since undergoing an MRI exam on his sore shoulder last week, throwing two innings in a Mets intrasquad game today.
And he seemed very happy with how things went, telling Adam Rubin of ESPN New York:
I felt great. It’s a great feeling to go out there and not feel any pain in your shoulder. It was a great step forward to go out on the mound and feel very close to 100 percent.
That’s a big relief, especially considering Niese also had shoulder problems last season. Niese is still hoping to be ready for Opening Day, although he has quite a few hurdles to clear before then after throwing just 35 pitches in what the Mets called “a controlled game” today.