According to Adam Rubin of the Daily News, Jose Reyes will soon be facing surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon.
Jose Reyes may be the next Met in line for surgery, joining Johan Santana and Oliver Perez on operating tables in the coming days.
Reyes, who has not appeared in a major-league game since pulling himself from a May 20 game at Dodger Stadium, has a completely torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee, a source confirmed to the Daily News.
While hardly ideal, surgery is not necessarily as ominous as it might sound. That tendon is expendable, and is sometimes partly removed and inserted into the elbow when a pitcher undergoes Tommy John surgery.
The Mets aren’t resigned to Reyes undergoing surgery just yet, although the decision is looming. Reyes, who is presumed to be out for the year, continues to get treatment, with physical therapists trying to break up scar tissue that is irritating the severed tendon and causing significant pain.
Rubin also suggests that it was Reyes’ past leg problems that influenced his decision to sign his current deal which expires in 2010.
Reyes, 26, was tormented by leg problems early in his career, which is one of the reasons why he signed a four-year, $23.25 million contract in August 2006. That deal is guaranteed through next season, with a team option for 2011 at $11 million. His salary leaps from $5.75 million this year to $9 million in 2010.
The Mets have had a calvacade of players trying to replace Reyes at shortstop and filling in as the team’s leadoff hitter. Without Reyes in the lineup, the Mets have the worst production in the NL out of the leadoff spot. Overall, Mets leadoff hitters have scored just 68 runs this season and are batting .241. Only the Pittsburgh Pirates are worse in baseball.
Imagine for a moment that the Mets were not the most dysfunctional team in sports history…
Imagine if Jose Reyes had the torn tendon repaired in June when it was first revealed…
Imagine if his 6-8 months of recovery and rehab would have suffered no setbacks…
Jose Reyes would most likely be ready to go and running full throttle come spring training.
Instead, our mentally challenged Mets will have Reyes undergoing the surgery in the next week or so, putting his ideal target date for a return in April instead of January, had they taken corrective action when they should have.
Can you imagine all of the players who are joining the ever growing list of those who are expected to be recovered in time for the start of the 2010 season?
So far we have Johan Santana (elbow surgery), Oliver Perez (knee surgery), Alex Cora (thumb surgery), Fernando Nieve (quadricep), Jon Niese (torn hamstring tendon similar to Reyes) and I’m sure that Carlos Beltran will soon be on this list too.
Do any of you believe that none will sufer some sort of setback under the Mets care?
Of course the big question and my biggest concern is this…
Will Jose Reyes ever be the same player he was before these two very extensive leg injuries? (Calf and hamstring)
