Carlos Beltran Surgery Highlights Mets Medical Problems

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By now you’ve likely heard the news that Carlos Beltran had knee surgery without the Mets permission. The surgery was performed by Beltran’s doctor in Colorado. His contract requires that the Mets provide written permission to have elective surgery from the reports that I’ve heard. At issue is whether the knee surgery was medically necessary or not. Now Beltran will miss spring training and likely won’t be able to play until mid-May.

There are several factors involved here including:

• NY Times– Beltran’s agent, Scott Boras, says that they did have the Mets permission for surgery
• NY Post- David Wright wonders like every Mets fan why the surgery is being done now?
• Always Amazin’– Beltran has gone against team medical advice before, in 2000 with the Royals and got suspended for 30 days by the team

This is where the Mets are going to get killed by us and the media for not making any changes to their medical staff after last season’s miscues. Every star player was on the disabled list at some point last year and there was constant confusion about what to do with the players. Remember Carlos Delgado flying to San Francisco for the Mets series there, only to be sent home to go on the disabled list? This situation goes as far back as the 2008 season when Ryan Church was flying around the country with the team after his second concussion of the season.

It doesn’t sound like Beltran and Boras did as much due diligence as they could have. But the Mets medical team doesn’t appear to have given Beltran much of a reason to have faith in their opinions either. Beltran should have had this surgery last year when he missed 81 games due to problems with the same knee. It’s ridiculous that this is going to carry into 2010.

The timing of this announcement couldn’t be worse either. Season ticket sales are already reported to be slow. And now Beltran, arguably the Mets’ best everyday player, is going to miss the first month and a half?!? If this is the way the Mets season is going to begin in 2010, Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel might as well pack their bags right now. They’re both going to be history if they can’t start to get these situations straightened out quickly.

Clearly, the Mets are very miffed about Beltran’s surgery to make a public spectacle of it like they did today. You can listen to Mets assistant GM John Ricco’s comments to the media below.

Audio- Asst. GM John Ricco on Beltran’s unauthorized surgery

Author: Dave Doyle

Frequently disappointed Mets fan View all posts by Dave Doyle