Jul
22
2011

Johan Santana Will Not Return Before September

An article by Joe D

Mets injured ace, Johan Santana, who is rehabbing in St. Lucie as he continues his comeback from capsular shoulder surgery, told the . NY Post that he is on schedule for a September return to the big league.

I was told by Dr. David Altchek this was going to take up to a year, so it’s going to take me to Sept. 14,” said Santana, who underwent surgery on that date last year to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. “If I come back sooner, that would be great. If not, we’ll be fine. [Altchek] said there might be a possibility to come back within 10 months, but that was just a possibility. That was not a fact.”

The Mets denied a report last night that Santana’s season debut could come on Aug. 21 at Citi Field, and said no schedule has been set.

Santana still has two years and $55 million remaining on his contract after this season, and said he doesn’t agree with the “notion he needs to pitch major league games this season for the sake of putting the surgery behind him.”

Okay then… I still say we need a top flight starter in this rotation and I’m not counting on Johan to be that caliber pitcher until he gets on a mound and proves it.

That said, I expect to hear the same old Minaya mantra that Johan will be our ace starter next season which is simply a function of how much he gets paid and not because he actually is an ace in the here and now.

There is no telling how good Santana will be when he returns, so despite what you hear from the Mets, douse it with a healthy dose of reality.

About the Author: Joe DeCaro

I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.

8 Comments + Add Comment

alex68 July 22, 2011 at 11:14 am

let him take his time, come back even stronger next year, don’t risk lose him for next year as well, this year is sort of a wash, unless reyes goes super nuts, this team ain’t going nowhere with the attitude the front office has of unloading the few good players on the team..
any July 22, 2011 at 11:34 am

I agree that he should take his time, and this year is meaningless.

as to next year, they just need as much good pitching as possible. No requirement that you have to name someone the “Ace”.
- alex68 July 22, 2011 at 11:41 am
  
  we don’t have an ace. or a #2.. we have niese, gee and dickey #3 quality pitchers, capuano #4 quality pitcher, and the POS of mike pelfrey, who shouldn’t be on the rotation.. yikes!!!
- Joe D July 22, 2011 at 1:52 pm
  
  I still believe it’s vitally important for Johan Santana to return at some point this season. Failing to do so will only lead the Mets into a path of the unknown this offseason and they will be operating and navigating in the dark when they try to restructure the rotation. If Santana does not return this season, the Mets will have no alternative but to secure a top of the rotation starter if they expect to have any advanced ticket sales before next season.
Metsie July 22, 2011 at 1:31 pm

I have no issue waiting until Spet and I support not bringing him up before then wholeheartedly.

The only reason for him to pitch in the MLB this year is to tune up and face some MLB hitters in preperation for next year.

I would not put him into a 5 man rotation would give him (and all the others) a 6 day rotation to keep things sharp and mellow to avoid injury going into the offseason.

2012 is the more likely year for success. If we are in it at the end well maybe I change my mind.
But the best thing we can do in regards to Santana and the rest of the team is to do everything to see they ll go into the offseason healthy and ready to go in 2012!
The Coop July 22, 2011 at 1:49 pm

I don’t think Johan should return at all, at that point. It’s not like 2007 version of Pedro where we needed his arm in the postseason (that never happened) but no reason to bring him back just to give fans hope of next season. Have him sit, have him healthy for 2012
- metsaddict77 July 22, 2011 at 2:10 pm
  
  keep dreamin, he isn’t coming back this year,when he does i doubt he will be the santana we saw.
Pete July 22, 2011 at 3:02 pm

That $55 million looms pretty huge as far as our lack of payroll flexibility. Between the Santana and Bay contracts, we’re pretty much screwed for the next two years. Thanks again Omar. Hello 2014! Wow when you think of how many horrible contracts Omar handed out, it’s a wonder he stayed employed with the team as long as he did. Santana, Bay, Perez, Castillo, El Duque, Alou, Schoenweis, Pedro. That’s a lot of money down the tubes with very little return.

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