Niese allowed six runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out one over just three innings of a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night.

Niese (5-9, 3.75 ERA) has been prominently mentioned in trade rumors, and had strung together eight consecutive quality starts to drive his value even higher. However, he struggled in this one as the Dodgers scored in all three innings he pitched, and the Mets acquired a pair of players from Atlanta earlier in the day which suggests they may now be buyers heading for the trade deadline.

Niese was excellent Sunday against the Cardinals, scattering five hits and striking out three in 7.2 shutout innings. He received no run support and did not factor into the decision as a result.

With trade rumors swirling, the lefty's value continues to rise, as he has now thrown eight consecutive quality starts and has lowered his ERA to 3.36. Niese's next scheduled start will come Friday against the Dodgers.

Niese picked up the win Sunday, allowing just three runs on five hits while striking out three batters over 6.2 innings in a 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Niese needed just 90 pitches to make it through six innings, as he kept the ball low throughout most of the contest, recording nine groundball outs. The lefty has thrown six or more innings in seven consecutive starts --- during that time he has seen his ERA dip 82 points (4.42-3.61) and has posted 33:16 K:BB ratio.

Niese earned his first win since May 9, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four in eight shutout innings Monday.

Niese's win was his first in 10 starts as he has not allowed more than three earned runs his last six outings. The Mets implemented a six-man rotation to help the younger pitchers, but Niese has benefited as well, keeping him fresh and healthy. Due to that six-man rotation and with only five games left before the All-Star break, Niese is not slated to pitch until after the Midsummer Classic.

Niese pitched well in a no-decision, holding the cubs to one run in seven innings Tuesday.

Niese ends June without a win, despite pitching at least six innings and not allowing more than three earned runs in any of his five starts. With the move to a six-man rotation, Niese's next start won't be until Monday against the Giants.

The Dodgers and Cubs each have interest in acquiring Niese, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.

The Dodgers may be looking for a starting pitcher due to injuries though Brandon Beachy may be back shortly. Many believe an Alex Guerrero-Niese deal is one that could help both teams. Chicago views Niese as a fall-back option of a bigger deal doesn't materialize. Before he was hurt, Javier Baez for Niese was a rumor that had been floating around.

Niese will have his next start pushed back to Tuesday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

With the Mets recalling prospect Steven Matz to get the start Sunday, Niese's next outing will get pushed back by one game. Niese has strung together three consecutive quality starts, but only one of those resulted in a win. He'll face the Cubs on Tuesday at home.

Niese took a no decision as he allowed two runs on eight hits and three walks in Tuesday's start against Milwaukee. He struck out three.

Niese is eating up innings, as this marks his fourth straight start in which he has completed at least six innings. The question is how long that will be enough to hold off hot prospect Steven Matz. With a 6.3 K/9 and 10 home runs allowed this year, Niese has been fully mediocre. His ERA sits at 4.12.

Niese (3-7) took the loss Wednesday in Toronto after allowing three runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out six and walked four.

Fantasy owners probably didn't expect much from Niese in a road game against the powerful Blue Jays, so this was a nice surprise despite the season-high-tying four bases on balls. The lefty has been pitching noticeably better over his last three starts, which may ultimately have the effect of boosting his trade value. He's next slated to start Tuesday in Milwaukee.

Niese went seven innings, giving up four runs -- two earned -- on five hits and two walks while striking out four in a no-decision Thursday against the Giants.

Niese has now had back-to-back quality starts after a four game stretch in which he allowed 20 runs in 20 innings. He got 15 outs on the ground Wednesday after entering 0-4 with a 7.96 ERA in his last five games. The left-hander retired 12 in a row at one point before substitute third baseman Eric Campbell committed a two-out error in the sixth. Niese received a no-decision, and he'll give it another go in his next start Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

Niese (3-6) allowed three runs on six hits while striking out eight over six innings in Friday night's loss to Arizona.

The lefty pitched decently in this one, setting a season high in strikeouts, but was undone in the sixth, when the D-Backs collected three consecutive hits and two runs off him to take the lead for good. The Mets are going back to a five-man rotation, which is good news for Niese, but he's also reportedly on the trading block with prospect Steven Matz knocking on the door of the big-league rotation.

Niese lasted just four innings Saturday, getting tagged for five runs (four earned) on seven hits, including two home runs. He struck out three.

He's now given up four runs or more in four straight starts, sending his ERA soaring from 1.95 to 4.42. The Mets' six-man rotation may not last much longer if Niese can't hold up his end of the bargain, and his next start on Friday in hitter-friendly Arizona seems set up for more of the same.

Niese surrender eight runs on 11 hits in Tuesday's loss to St. Louis.

Niese pitched five innings in an awful performance on Tuesday, walking one and striking out one. The Cardinals offense hammered everything Niese threw at them, and he just couldn't find an answer. Niese now holds a 3.72 ERA and an ugly 1.49 WHIP. He'll look to improve both of those numbers in his next start against Philadelphia.

Niese gave up six runs (four earned) on six hits and a walk over 6.1 innings Thursday in a loss to the Cubs.

The Mets needed a strong performance in this one to avoid a sweep, and for the first third of the game, it looked like they were getting it -- Niese was perfect in his first time through the order, and the Mets had hit three solo home runs. But the lefty gave up a homer to Dexter Fowler in the fourth, and then a defense-aided rally in the fifth turned his day ugly. This was kind of a course-correction game for Niese, who's been getting lucky in terms of ERA (he entered with a sparkling 1.95 mark), but a poor WHIP (1.43). Well, on Thursday, his ERA went up to 2.49 and his WHIP went down to 1.38 -- and you have to imagine there's more course correcting to come. He'll have a tough duel on his hands against Michael Wacha and the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Niese pitched well Saturday, grabbing a win in a seven inning, two unearned run performance against the Phillies Saturday.

Niese has quietly had a fantastic start for the Metropolitans as he lowered his ERA below two with another strong performance. Niese will look to build off this strong start when he faces the Cubs next Friday.

Niese allowed one run on nine hits and a walk while striking out five while falling 1-0 Saturday to the Nationals.

Niese was able to dance in-and-out of trouble most of the game but his propensity for putting runners on hurt him in the second when Washington scored the only run of the frame. It was a fairly solid rebound start for Niese after struggling last week against the Yankees, though the WHIP still needs to come down substantially.

Niese struck out five and walked four while holding the Braves to one run on four hits over 6.2 innings Wednesday in a winning effort.

He's now 2-0 on the young season, while Niese has also benefited from facing the Braves (twice) and the Phillies in his first three starts. The peripherals (11:8 K:BB, 20 hits allowed) suggest that the 1.50 ERA he's posted through 18 innings is bound to rise. Niese will make a road start against the Yankees on Sunday his next time out.

Niese improved to 1-0 in Wednesday's win over Philadelphia, giving up justone run on nine hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Nurse put a few too many men on base in this one, but he worked out of trouble when he needed to and even helped his own cause with an RBI single. The perpetually underrated lefty should be a solid fantasy asset -- especially in head-to-head eagues -- as long as he can stay healthy for a Mets team that's shaping up to be pretty good.

Niese said he has dealt with some shoulder fatigue this spring, the New York Daily News reports.

Niese said the fatigue improved once he tweaked his delivery, but it's still a bit concerning that he's already talking about problems with his arm. While he posted a 3.40 ERA in 30 starts last season, the lefty recently admitted that he dealt with shoulder pain early in the year. The Mets were reportedly disappointed by the trade market for Niese this offseason, due largely to concerns about his injury history. On the other hand, Niese should be fine for the start of the season, and he has a bit more breathing room in a deep pitching organization, now that Zack Wheeler (elbow) needs Tommy Jon Surgery.

Niese allowed one run on three hits and struck out six in four innings against the Cardinals on Thursday.

Niese threw 46 of his 67 pitches for strikes. He likely will have three more starts this spring, increasing his pitch count in each start until he approaches 100 by the third start. Niese has not had any issues with his arm, which was a problem last year, and will be counted on a bit more heavily with Zack Wheeler lost for the year.