PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Upon further review, the Mets have sent Zack Wheeler for an MRI of his right elbow.

Wheeler already had been scratched from Saturday’s start because of what the Mets described as elbow tendinitis and a recurring blister.

#45 SP

New York Mets

2014 STATS

GM 32

W11

L11

BB79

K187

ERA 3.54

Wheeler acknowledged feeling pain in the elbow at points during last season, but the Mets had him undergo two MRIs during the winter that were fine, manager Terry Collins said.

That’s why GM Sandy Alderson on Friday said it would be unnecessary for Wheeler to undergo another MRI now. However, the team reversed course Saturday and did send Wheeler for the imaging test.

“We’ll see how the results are,” Collins said after Saturday’s 13-4 win against the Nationals. “He had two this winter. They were clean as heck, so we don’t expect any damage. A little rest won’t hurt.”

Why the change of plans regarding having the MRI performed?

“It’s always a precaution,” Collins said. “You can go in there right now and if someone’s back is sore they’re going to get one tomorrow.”

Collins said Wheeler still wants to pitch 200 innings this season. He made 32 starts and logged 185 1/3 innings in 2014.

The manager said Wheeler was removed from games a couple of times last season because of the blister issue underneath his right middle fingernail. He said there was only once instance -- during a game last summer that Collins could not precisely recall -- in which Wheeler mentioned the elbow issue during a game and the team felt compelled to pull him early. Wheeler was given extra rest before his next start and the elbow did not hinder his second-half performance, Collins added.

“No. 1, there are a lot of games he pitched with his elbow bothering him,” Collins said. “So we know it’s been there. We know he’s had this issue before. That’s why I’m very glad he spoke up now, because we’ve got enough time to back him up a little bit and still get him to where he needs to be.”

The manager added: “He has such tremendous torque on his arm, there’s always going to be issues.”