Fernando Nieve News

As currently constituted, the Mets' roster has four vacancies -- four in number and, in a more subjective, informal and real way, at least four -- slugger, starting pitcher, catcher and reliever.

John Maine has been injury riddled for most of the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but the Mets do need to make a decision on whether he fits into their plans for the starting rotation in 2010.

Ah, the dreaded "vote of confidence". Mets CEO Jeff Wilpon extended that safety net to both G.M. Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel a couple of weeks ago during the Subway Series with the Yankees.

Tim Redding was on the verge of being released in July, until Fernando Nieve tore his right quadriceps muscle in Atlanta.

In a season full of missteps by the Mets, arguably their biggest mistake will be staring them in the face tonight.

Faith and Fear in Flushing made its debut on Feb. 16, 2005, the brainchild of two longtime friends and lifelong Met fans.

In the words of the legendary 1990s grunge band, Soundgarden's lead singer Chris Cornell, the Mets have "fell on black days." This season has been one filled with injuries, heart break, and disappointment.

You can count me among the tweetin' Twitterers now: http://twitter.com/MikeVacc I know how frustrated Mets fans are with not only the injuries that have flattened their seasons, but with the injured athletes themselves.

Patrick Misch allows two runs in the sixth inning that puts the Phillies ahead for good.

Patrick Misch allows two runs in the sixth inning that puts the Phillies ahead for good.

Gary Sheffield is still nursing a sore hamstring. Jonathon Niese just had surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon.

Jonathon Niese's season is over. The Mets pitcher will undergo surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon and will miss the rest of the year after hurting himself in the Mets' 9-0 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday.

The result, a 9-0 win against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field , would seem to indicate that Wednesday was one of the few days when nothing bad happened to the Mets .

Direct acknowledgment is not yet forthcoming from the Mets manager. Jerry Manuel soldiers on as if unmindful of the predicament his team faces.

Mets starter Jonathon Niese is out for the season after a Wednesday magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed a complete tear of the right upper hamstring tendon from the bone, a club statement said.

St. Louis falls a half-game behind first-place Chicago in a tight National League East race with a 9-0 loss to the Mets in a Big Apple matinee.

In replacing Fernando Nieve in the Mets rotation last weekend, Jonathon Niese offers more change than just a letter in Nieves last name.

Jonathon Niese walked into the clubhouse at Minute Maid Park just over two hours before game time, his Buffalo Bisons bag being carried in ahead of him by a clubhouse worker.

Gary Sheffield is headed to the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, adding to the rash of substantial injuries that has wrecked the New York Mets ' season.

Tim Redding , who was on the verge of being released as the Mets started a 10-game trip to open the second half, is off the chopping block, a team insider told the Daily News.