Should Johan Santana Return to the Majors this Year?

It has been reported that New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana had undergone an examination that revealed that he was suffering fatigue in his surgically repaired left shoulder. Santana will not resume throwing until his symptoms subside. However, Santana will continue to exercise and do some other baseball activities.

Everything else during the exam was deemed to be normal by doctors at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Santana had made a rehab start on July 28^th. He looked good in his three-inning appearance in St. Lucie. Santana allowed just two hits and struck out three.

The Mets have Santana under contract until 2013 and then hold a $25 million option for 2014.

Santana has been working hard to recover from the surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. Chien-Ming Wang took two years to return from the same surgery. This brings up the question if either the Mets or Santana are rushing to get him back in the rotation.

With less than two months left in the season, the Mets are on the fringes of the Wild Card race, but it does not look like they will make the playoffs this year.

Given all of this, it does not make much sense to rush Santana. The Mets will be looking to be competitive again next year. They are a team without a true ace. Santana fills that role. The Mets need Santana to be back at 100 percent next season. Both Santana and the Mets should be careful with the rest of Santana’s rehab.

If this means that Santana starts once every six days, then that is what the Mets should do. If New York wants to put a competitive team on the field next year, they need Johan Santana to be ready, and healthy, for Opening Day.