Mets' Starting Rotation Order: Niese, Marcum, Harvey, Gee, and maybe Hefner

So much for that Shaun Marcum injury. Just a couple of days after Marcum was sent to New York City to get a cortisone injection in his pitching shoulder, the Mets are aiming to slot him in to start the team's second game of the season on Wednesday, April 3, against the Padres at Citi Field.

Assuming Marcum stays on the track, the rotation will be: Jon Niese, Marcum, Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee, and Jeremy Hefner. The Mets haven't reached a decision yet on whether or not Hefner will pitch the fifth game of the season. The alternative would be to give the start to Niese and slot Hefner in between Niese and Marcum.

The sequencing of the Mets' starting rotation doesn't figure to have a major effect on the team's success this year, but getting Niese, Marcum, and Harvey as many starts as possible over the course of the season is desirable. In an ideal world, if and when Johan Santana comes back, he'd be taking over Hefner's spot in the rotation.