How do you lose twice in the same day without playing a doubleheader? Just ask the Mets.
A day after Johan Santana got roughed up by the Dodgers for six runs in just three innings, the Mets placed the struggling left-hander on the 15-day disabled list with a right ankle sprain. Then they fell to the Dodgers, 8-5 at Citi Field, stumbling to .500 and losing for the seventh time in eight games since the All-Star break. But for how long have they lost their ace?
“It’s tough, I didn’t want to go on the DL,” said Santana, who twisted the ankle while covering first base in his last start before the All-Star break, a July 6 loss to the Cubs. Reed Johnson stepped on his foot, and he hasn’t been the same since.
“I wanted to keep pitching and competing. But at the same time, they had a decision and we agreed to it.
“A couple times I felt it, but you don’t think about it. When you’re competing, you don’t think about those things. You just want to get those guys out. But when you watch the videos and review things, then you realize that not everything is right.’’
Santana is 3-5 with a 6.54 ERA since his no-hitter, but in the three games since his ankle injury, he has coughed up 19 earned runs, pitching to a bloated 13.50 ERA and pitching with a fatigued arm due to his hindered mechanics.
“I thought it was fine, but they’re watching from the outside,’’ Santana said. “I’m not thinking when I’m pitching, about my ankle or anything. I’m just trying to do my job and compete. They’re watching and they’re seeing something different. If they think it’s better for me to take some time off, that’s what we’re going to do.’’
With Mike Pelfrey and Dillon Gee already lost, the Mets’ rotation is stretched thin. Yesterday’s starter, Miguel Batista (1-3), allowed five hits and four runs in just three innings to put them in a 4-0 hole. But they’re taking solace in the fact Santana’s surgically repaired left shoulder is fine.
“We don’t think there’s any structural damage so we don’t think that is an issue,’’ general manager Sandy Alderson said.
“We determined the ankle issue is bigger than anybody had realized,’’ manager Terry Collins said. “Ever since the injury, his command hasn’t been there. He can’t land properly, he’s using all arm to pitch with, causing some fatigue in his shoulder. No pain, there’s just nothing there, so we’re going to disable him, give him some rest, let the ankle rest and heal up and then rebuild the arm strength back.
“The best part is there’s no injury there. Dealing with fatigue, injury is possible, so we need to quiet it down. Let’s get the ankle ready, so we can get the shoulder back. … He just wanted to pitch. He finished that [July 6] game and said he never felt it. [But] he did admit that he did feel his ankle at times. He threw some pitches [Friday] and he knew it was all arm, and that starts to concern me.’’
Now Santana gets to rest his ankle and his arm.
“We think the ankle injury may have led to some general fatigue in his shoulder specifically,” Alderson said. “Where he’s been, what he’s accomplished, we’ve probably gotten to the point where we need to get that ankle right.
“Fifteen days would allow him to pitch the last day of the road trip in San Diego [on Aug. 5], but I don’t think that’ll happen. It’s more likely that he’ll pitch some point in the [next] homestand.’’
The Mets recalled Jeremy Hefner from Triple-A Buffalo yesterday, with much-hyped prospect Matt Harvey perhaps another start away.
Santana’s next turn was to be at home Wednesday, opposite Washington phenom Stephen Strasburg. Harvey could theoretically make his debut on schedule Thursday in Arizona on standard rest replacing Batista.