Following Angel Pagan‘s return from the disabled list, the Mets got further upbeat news from the injury front today when John Maine threw a side session without pain in Port St. Lucie. Jerry Manuel said Maine — whose side session followed a lengthy and equally pain-free session of catch from 120 feet on Thursday — could return to the rotation as soon as the end of the month.
Maine has been on the DL since June 7 with what apparently is a pinched nerve in his right shoulder.
“It’s very encouraging,” Manuel said. “What his schedule is at this time, I don’t know clearly. But I do think that it could be as early as the end of the month. From what I understand, he’s pain free.”