Mets May Call Up Pitching Prospect Niese

With John Maine back on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, the Mets are reportedly eyeing their farm system for pitching help. Newsday reported that the Mets are preparing to call up top pitching prospect Jon Niese, according to a person familiar with the team's thinking.

According to the report, the Mets will tinker with their pitching rotation so they won't need a fifth starter until their Sept. 2 game at Milwaukee. Niese, who last pitched Sunday, would have one more minor-league outing before making his major-league debut against the Brewers.

The left-handed Niese, 21, is 5-1 with a 3.65 ERA in six starts at Triple-A New Orleans. Mets GM Omar Minaya said he is confident the Mets can turn to young players like Niese in the midst of a playoff race, according to the report.

"I'm very comfortable with our young prospects coming here and doing it the way Argenis Reyes has done it, the way Daniel Murphy has done it, the way Nick Evans has done it. I feel comfortable internally that we'll find a way to get it done," Minaya said, according to Newsday.

Other possibilities to fill in for Maine could include long reliever Brian Stokes or Robert Parnell, another of the Mets' top pitching prospects.