After a very difficult start against the Phillies on Tuesday, the Mets have put hobbled pitcher Jon Niese on the DL with a muscle strain in his side according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Niese has been suffering from the injury for a while, and after his start had been moved back for a couple days, he re-aggravated the injury during the third inning on a pitch to Hunter Pence. He stayed in the game after that, but his command was off. Niese doesn't believe that he caused the injury to get any worse by staying in the game.
"I don't know if I damaged it more," Niese said. "I doubt it. But it's one of those things where I can't pitch with it. I've just got to get it better."
DiComo also reports that he may be joined on the DL by Scott Hairston who is awaiting the results of an X-Ray.
The news was no better for Hairston, who underwent an X-ray after injuring his left intercostal muscle on a swing in the seventh inning. Though the Mets were still awaiting the results of that test late Tuesday night, Hairston is almost certainly headed to the disabled list.