In his return from the disabled list, Jon Niese allowed four earned runs over six innings in the Mets' loss to the Mariners on Monday. Out since early July with shoulder inflammation, Niese punched out six and issued two free passes. The Mariners weren't fooled by his stuff, collecting 11 hits. Regardless, New York is happy to have Niese back, if for no other reason than to showcase him. The left-hander's contract is extremely team-friendly, paying out just $16 million over the next two seasons, with the Mets also in possession of a pair of club options totaling $21 million after that. Outside of a rusty return from layoff, Niese has been remarkably consistent; this was the first time he'd yielded more than three earned runs in a start. Now 5-5 with a 3.13 ERA, Niese heads to Milwaukee this weekend.