Santana Surgery

[Gwreck]

To repair a torn meniscus. Today.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2008/10/santana-has-surgery.html

[Benjamin Grimm]

If he needs it, he can have MY meniscus!

(I'll have to look up what a "meniscus" is.)

[Guest themetfairy]

Wow! His performance Saturday was already legendary, but this makes it epic!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Adam Rubin's initial report has been expanded a little:

Adam Rubin wrote: The Mets acknowledged that Johan Santana had arthroscopic surgery today to repair a torn meniscus. He injured it before his final start, when he tossed a shutout while pitching on sshort rest. That�s why Jerry Manuel had been so adamant that week that Santana wouldn�t be unable to go on short rest and Jon Niese would be required to start Saturday unless Santana demanded the ball.

And here's today's anatomy lesson:

="Wikipedia"]In anatomy, a meniscus is a moon-shaped figure.[1] It usually refers to either of two specific parts of cartilage of the knee. The knee contains a lateral meniscus and a medial meniscus. Both are cartilaginous tissues that provide structural integrity to the knee when it undergoes tension and torsion. The menisci are also known as 'semi-lunar' cartilages - referring to their half-moon "C" shape - a term which has been largely dropped by the medical profession, but which led to the menisci being called knee 'cartilages' by the lay public.

[Farmer Ted]

Warrior.

[metirish]

A true Met warrior after this .

[Benjamin Grimm]

I wonder if Valadius is still outraged that the Mets gave up Kevin Mulvey to get him.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

It's a relatively minor surgery: I've had meniscii on both my knees scoped and didn't lose too much of my awesome power.

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: It's a relatively minor surgery: I've had meniscii on both my knees scoped and didn't lose too much of my awesome power.

Had your employer signed you for $137 million the previous year?





taking the piss of course.

[Frayed Knot]

[u:3e7da9692b]menisci[/u:3e7da9692b]

That would be an awesome throw-down in a Scrabble game - particularly if you were able to stick it somewhere by hooking that final i

Of course I'd never actually 'see' it even if I were aware of it as a word because I'm not programmed to think of words ending in i
I'd probably just be cursing the fact that I got stuck with multiple i tiles again.

[Valadius]

I've written a bunch of posts saying I was too hesitant about the trade. Cut me some slack.

[soupcan]

Begs the question - would he have been able to pitch in the postseason?

That could've been more than a little bittersweet had they made it.

[Centerfield]

I get the feeling Santana would have gutted it out and probably risked further damage. It might end up being a good thing we didn't get in, though we'll never know.

Troubling for me is that they didn't look into it until after the season, even though he was struggling with it for the last month. It was probably the old "I'm going to pitch anyway so why bother" line of logic. I've never understood this type of thinking. We're into Santana for 8 years. Why not look?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

It's not like he is at any less risk of further injury now that he had the procedure than before, since they aren't "rebuilding" anything, they're just taking away what's already broken.

If he was OK to pitch for a month with it then it was likely just minor discomfort, you know a clicking or faint pain or stiffness.

[HahnSolo]

Maybe it was that magic Watkins Red Liniment stuff that kept him pitching.
It's what Johan uses!

[Centerfield]

The article I read this morning said that Santana was pitching with discomfort but that no exam was held until after the season.

Leible (his agent) indicated that Santana didn't want to know the extent of the injury until after the season, even though he had been in discomfort during the entire final month. He was examined Tuesday and the torn meniscus was officially diagnosed.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/10/01/2008-10-01_johan_santana_has_knee_surgery_pitched_i.html

I realize this could be the agent just trying to paint Santana as a gritty warrior, but if this is true, this is beyond stupid for the Mets. In this case, it turned out to be nothing, and Santana may be no worse off. But it is impossible to know that unless he is checked out.

How idiotic would we feel if Santana had some minor thing that could have shelved him for a week or two, but because he didn't get it checked out, blew out a knee and missed all of 2009?

If you get it checked and it's nothing, fine. If you get it checked and it could lead to more serious injury, isn't it better to know?

[Guest AG/DC]

Well, it doesn't say what the Mets knew and, um, when they knew it.

[Centerfield]

The article suggests that Jerry knew:

The injury explains why Jerry Manuel had resolved not to use Santana on short rest on Saturday unless the ace demanded the ball.

Again, this could all be glorification after the fact, but in the past, the Mets have shown themselves to be incompetent in this regard. Everyone applauds when it turns out to be nothing. But sometimes, your $10 million closer blows out an elbow. How much would have sucked to lose Wagner and Santana for 2009?