Jon Niese is one of the best young left-handed pitchers in the N.L. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports)
New York Mets starter Johan Santana will open the season on the disabled list, manager Terry Collins announced Thursday.
Collins followed that by officially naming lefty Jon Niese to start Opening Day.
Santana hasn’t appeared in a game this spring, as he continues to build arm strength. Neise, 26, posted a 3.40 ERA in 30 starts last season. This will be his first career opening day assignment.
Fantasy Status: Niese went 13-9 with 155 strikeouts and a 3.40 ERA in 190.1 innings pitched last year for a Mets team that finished 74-88 and ranked fourth in the N.L. East. He is a hard-thrower who knows how to pitch and is easily one of the top left-handed starting pitchers in the N.L. Niese would be a great No. 3-4 starter depending on how you like to build your team.
