Mets’ Santana to have shoulder surgery
The New York Mets are about to lose Johan Santana for the rest of the season. Santana suffered an anterior capsule tear in his left shoulder and will soon undergo surgery. Santana suffered the injury on 2 September during a game against the Atlanta Braves.
Santana went to the Hospital of Special Surgery located in Manhattan and the tear was discovered after an MRI. The tear is located in the front of the shoulder towards the pectoral muscle. This has been causing Santana to feel pain in both his shoulder and his chest.
The injury will end Santana’s 2010 season. Last year Santana underwent season-ending surgery as well after suffering bone chips in his elbow.
"We anticipate he will be able to resume throwing in the spring," the team said in a statement.
Santana is locked into a six-year contract worth $137.5 million and he has not panned out well with the Mets. The Mets also gave Santana a full no-trade clause. While it may not have been Santana’s best season, he was still one of the better players on a team that has been very disappointing.
Santana’s season will end with an 11-9 record and a 2.98 ERA. The two-time Cy Young award winner has also pitched 199 innings. At this point the injury doesn’t matter all that much as the Mets’ season is all but over. They’re 11.5 games back of the first-place Phillies in the NL East and 10.5 games out of a wildcard spot also held by a division rival, Atlanta.
The Mets’ ace has pitched for 11 seasons. After eight spectacular seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Santana signed as a free agent with the Mets in 2007. While Santana has continued to succeed in New York, the team still has not reached the playoffs with their ace. The Mets last won the East in 2006 while seeing Philadelphia snatch the last three.
Santana will meet with the renowned Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion sometime next week. In Santana’s absence, Dillon Gee will take his place in the starting rotation.
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