Mets pitcher Jon Niese tells skipper Terry Collins his arm hurts, heading to New ...

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Jon Niese is struggling with shoulder 'discomfort' early in spring training and will have an MRI.

PORT ST. LUCIE - Jon Niese was sent back to New York Wednesday to have an MRI on his left shoulder. The Mets lefthander was feeling 'discomfort,' in his shoulder, Terry Collins said.

'He has had, in (the) triceps area, a little bit of pain,' the Mets manager said. 'We shut him off the mound, made him throw long toss. That forces you to get your arm a little higher. He felt good and he threw batting practice the other day.

'After the second 20 pitches (in live batting practice), he said his arm felt like it was a lot of work and tricep was an issue again,' Collins said. 'We want to have him go get looked at.'

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Niese, who was Collins' leader as the Opening Day starter missed nearly two months last season with a shoulder injury. Collins said this discomfort was in a different location than last season.

He was initially diagnosed with a partial tear of his rotator cuff after leaving a start in June with shoulder pain. A second MRI, however, showed less damage after the inflammation calmed down, so Niese did not require surgery.

Instead, Niese did a shoulder strengthening program, which he said he had continued into the offseason. Niese returned in August to pitch 10 games, going 6-4 with a 3.00 ERA.

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Niese was the Opening Day starter in 2013 by default, when Johan Santana re-injured his shoulder in spring training. He finished 2013 8-8 with a 3.71 ERA.

'It's a precaution right now,' Collins said, 'But any time you send someone for an MRI, obviously there is going to be a concern until you get the reading back.'

Niese was not the only starter missing from workouts Wednesday. Bartolo Colon, who the Mets signed to a two-year, $20 million deal in December, missed the workouts with 'tightness,' in his calves. Collins said he let the rotund 40-year-old right-hander work inside to 'keep him off his feet.'