As if the news that Jeff Francoeur tore a ligament in his thumb after making a spectacular catch yesterday weren’t bad enough, Jerry Manuel just announced during the post game conference that Johan Santana has been experiencing “some discomfort” in his left pitching elbow.
Due to this, Santana will not make his start tomorrow against the Florida Marlins. No word yet on who will make the start in his place.
It is not time to panic yet because in the end this could end up being nothing, but at the same time this is definitely something to keep an eye on.
Obviously, if Santana missed a considerable amount of time this season it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world due to the team being out of contention. However, if these elbow troubles turn into something bigger, than the Mets would certainly have a major problem heading into next season.
As it stands now, nobody currently slated to be in the pitching staff next season, excluding Johan, has pitched well this season.
Given that the future of the franchise is contingent on Johan Santana being the team’s ace I would approach this situation with extreme caution. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Santana doesn’t throw another pitch this season due to all the negative publicity surrounding the medical staff’s poor track record.
On a side note, maybe I’m being a little oversensitive, but is it really appropriate for a manager to be laughing during a press conference in which he announced that his ace has been suffering problems in his pitching elbow? I guess that in itself is a different story for a different day.
Be sure to stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
