Tommy John Surgery Could End Billy Wagner’s Career

“A tendon will be harvested…”  If you happened to scan an article on the Mets erstwhile closer Billy Wagner and saw those words, you instantly knew that you’re not going to be seeing him pitch again for quite a while.  If not ever.  After an MRI yesterday detected tears in Wagner’s medial collateral ligament in his pitching arm as well as the flexor pronator muscle, its been announced today that Wagner will undergo the special surgery that has kept ex-Yankee and Dodger Tommy John’s name permanently in the media.  This is reported to keep Wagner out of action until “late” in the 2009 season. 

When Wagner joined the Mets in 2006, he said it would be for the last four years of his career, and he has stayed firm to the concept of retiring after the ‘09 season.  Now with this devastating injury in the mix, whether or not Wagner will ever step on an MLB mound again is under doubt.

Matt Cerrone of Metsblog.com makes some great “silver lining” points about the loss of Wagner.  Whereas Wagner was dominant in April, he had some shaky moments in May through August.  More significantly, the Amazins have had plenty of time to get their Plan B straight, which has recently involved a lot of appearances for Luis Ayala and Brian Stokes.  Plus, Jerry Manuel has had plenty of time to evaluate and manipulate the pecking order of the available arms.

Ayala has become the closer of late, and has converted five of six save opportunities since joining the Mets on August 17.  Furthermore, Ayala has only allowed earned runs in two of his last ten appearances, and only one of the two instances resulted in the Mets losing the game.  So going by the numbers Ayala, perhaps a surprise closer candidate after a lackluster middle relief career with the Nationals over the last two years, can give the Mets at least as much as the June/July ‘08 version of Wagner did.  

Stokes is also a dark horse, coming to the Mets after an undistinguished tenure as a starter in Tampa Bay, but he’s a young guy with a lot of velocity on his pitches, and he too has been dependable of late.  Stokes has gone nine straight appearances without allowing an earned run.  All told, the Mets bullpen has only allowed one run over the last 23 innings.  The tight NL East race has been fraught with pressure situations; hopefully this trial by fire will have these guys ready for a potential playoff run.

Finally, where would the Mets be without Johan Santana and Carlos Delgado?  Up s%#t’s creek without a paddle is where.  Or at the very least in second place, after the dynamic duo rescued the third and final game in the three game set vs. Philly at home, which ended Sunday night.  Santana has quietly piled up a 2.70 ERA, third best in the NL.  And Delgado’s two monster home runs Sunday were the latest and most significant chapters in his stunning renaissance under Manuel. 

Like this post? Share it »

Last post (s) by Mark Reichman

• Second Closer Putz Mets On Top - December 11th, 2008
• There's a New Rod in Town...K!! - December 9th, 2008
• CLAW MARKS - Jags Embarrass Selves on MNF Stage - December 2nd, 2008
• CLAW MARKS - Jaguars-Texans: Will Anyone Be Watching?? - December 1st, 2008
• Do The Math...Jags Officially Irrelevant in '08 - November 17th, 2008