Johan Santana will have his elbow cleaned out, ending his season, but the ace should be fine for 2010, the Mets announced. Team doctor David Altchek examined Santana at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Santana will undergo an arthroscopic procedure to remove bone chips.
The 30-year-old lefthander finishes the season with a 13-9 record and 3.13 ERA. He logged 166 2/3 innings, snapping a streak of five straight seasons of exceeding 200 innings pitched. Santana's velocity has sagged during the second half.
"It's mostly soreness. It's my understanding from the doctors there are bone chips," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said on a conference call. "We all want to see Johan Santana pitching in September. But this is a smart move because we want to see him pitching for the long haul." (Daily News)