Mets Starter Johan Santana Set For Season-Ending Surgery On Tuesday
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - Johan Santana's season is over after New York Mets manager Terry Collins announced Santana is to undergo season-ending surgery on a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder on Tuesday.
Collins isn't surprised by Santana's belief that he can resume his career. The Mets manager views Santana as a true gamer.
"No, not with him," Collins told the Star-Ledger on Saturday. "The one thing everybody kind of forgot is the competitiveness in this guy. And he's not done. So I'm sure that's why he's doing it."
Team physician David Altchek, who performed the first procedure, will perform the second torn capsule surgery on Santana in 31 months.
"It's very difficult. If anybody can do it, it would be Johan," Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen told reporters. "We wish him luck and we feel sick about what's happened."
David Wright agrees with Collins and Warthen. He expects Santana to pitch again.
"I've known Johan long enough to know that I don't think that he'd want to go out like that. He's going to probably work just as hard, if not — if it's possible — work harder, to come back from this. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I see him pitch again," Wright said after the Mets lost to Baltimore 7-1 in their exhibition finale.
2013 is the final guaranteed year of Santana's six-year, $137.5 million deal. Santana is owed $25.5 million in 2013 and the Mets could choose to exercise a team buyout for $5.5 million in the offseason.
In four years with the Mets, Santana has a 46-34 record with an ERA of 3.18 in 109 appearances for the Mets.
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