Mets pitcher Johan Santana will undergo season-ending arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow.
The Mets said they expect Santana to be fully recovered for the start of spring training, and journeyman right-hander Nelson Figueroa is taking the ace’s spot in the rotation.
But word that Santana had his elbow discomfort examined at the All-Star break last month forced GM Omar Minaya to explain why the Mets allowed their crown jewel to continue pitching.
HARDBALL: Why Was Johan Pitching?
A stammering Minaya justified the Mets’ decision to keep Santana in the rotation even with the team out of contention by saying pain wasn’t an issue until Santana’s most recent start, last Thursday against the Braves at Citi Field.
“It didn’t get worse in the last month or the last six weeks,” Minaya said of Santana, who finishes his second Mets season 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA in 25 starts. “It just got worse after his last start.”
Jerry Manuel said Santana complained of elbow soreness after that outing, and the team decided to shut him down.
“He felt he could still pitch. He wanted to come on the plane and give it a shot,” Manuel said before Tuesday night’s game at Florida. “When it gets to the point where he says something, then the red flags went up.”
Santana, who allowed three runs on nine hits in seven innings in that final outing against the Braves, backed Minaya’s version of the events and expressed his support of the Mets’ response.
He was examined Tuesday by Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek in New York.
“The team acted right away, and now you see the results,” Santana said in a conference call. “I think it’s the right decision. Believe me, I’m going to be ready to go in 2010. I’m very pleased with what we’re doing right now.”
Santana, who had similar arthroscopic surgery on his elbow for bone chips with the Twins following the 2003 season, said he would have insisted on continuing to pitch if the Mets were still in the race.
“I don’t want to get shut down at all,” Santana said.
Santana had not been his dominant self this season, with his velocity down 3-4 mph and his command sometimes lacking. The Mets did not allow Santana to throw between starts since the All-Star break because of the discomfort.
“In my last game that I pitched, there was some lack of range in my arm,” Santana said. “That’s what kind of concerned me, and that’s when I let everybody know what we going on.”
Santana, who has four seasons left on his $137.5 million, six-year contract, said the bone chips were unrelated to the elbow problems early in spring training that threatened to keep him from pitching Opening Day.
Incredibly, Minaya said he didn’t remember those elbow problems.
“Spring training, when I think about it, was such a long time ago,” Minaya said.
After the 2003 surgery, Santana came back with a career-high 20 wins and the first of his two Cy Young Awards for Minnesota.
“I know myself,” he said. “I’ve been through this before. I know exactly what it is.”
Santana had arthroscopic surgery on torn cartilage in his left knee last October. He went 16-7 and led the majors with a 2.53 ERA in his first year with the Mets.
Santana was put on the 15-day disabled list and became the 12th Mets player on the DL, joining David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, J.J. Putz, John Maine and others.
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In other injury news, outfielder Jeff Francoeur returned to the lineup after tearing a ligament in his left thumb over the weekend. … Putz was scratched from a rehab appearance in Single-A because of tightness in his forearm. Manuel said he was not optimistic the reliever would pitch again this season. … Oliver Perez had his right knee evaluated. Manuel said he didn’t think the lefty would make his next scheduled start Friday. “I’m very doubtful,” Manuel said. “I’m tired of being optimistic.”
With AP