David Wright asked the question everyone around the Mets wants to know about Carlos Beltran’s surprise knee surgery: “Why now?”
“Obviously, it’s frustrating. Teammates, along with fans, I am sure ownership — it’s a frustrating process to have to go through these injuries, but hopefully we can hear some more details about exactly what happened, why now?” Wright told SNY on Thursday, addressing the procedure that will keep Beltran out of the Opening Day lineup — and likely longer.
“You obviously want to keep the team in the loop with whatever you are doing, but give Carlos a chance to tell his side of the story, the Mets side of the story, the doctor’s side of the story then kind of make a judgment. … But like I said, there’s a lot of questions to be answered.”
VAC’S WHACKS: BELTRAN MADE RIGHT MOVE
The Mets on Wednesday announced that Beltran underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in Colordao and will not be ready for Opening Day on April 5 versus the Marlins.
Assistant general manager John Ricco said the center fielder had permission to be examined Tuesday by Dr. Richard Steadman, a knee specialist in Colorado who also looked at Beltran last summer, and Steadman recommended surgery.
But the team asked Beltran to wait while management discussed options with its medical staff.
“We told the agent for the player that we wanted to have the ability to discuss the diagnosis and possibly have a third option because, you know, of the nature of this injury,” Ricco said during a telephone conference call. “We wanted to have the opportunity to digest the information, the diagnosis, and unfortunately we were never afforded the opportunity to do that.”
Despite the Mets’ request, made to agent Scott Boras on Tuesday evening, Steadman operated on Beltran on Wednesday.
The team said Beltran is expected to resume baseball activities in 12 weeks (April 7). Ricco said the team will be “losing his services, at least for the early part of the season.”
“We thought we had cooperation from their side,” Ricco said. “And to find out afterward that, you know, the surgery occurred, that’s where we’re most upset.”
The Mets have stopped short of talking action against Beltran for going ahead with the operation.
“We sent a letter to the agent reserving our rights,” Ricco said. “And that’s where it stands right now.”
Ricco spoke because general manager Omar Minaya and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon were at the major league owners’ meetings in Arizona.
“When you have a player of this magnitude, you have an injury that could keep him out for a substantial period of time, you know, our view of it was that we want to make sure we have all the information that we can have at the time before we go forward,” Ricco said. “Obviously, both the Mets’ and Carlos Beltran’s interest in this is Carlos Beltran’s health and having him be healthy and productive for the Mets.”
Beltran was limited to 81 games last season because of a bone bruise in the knee.
“It’s a little bit different, after last year it’s a bit unsettling,” hitting coach Howard Johnson told SNY. “But you know Carlos will be healthy and we will get him back on the field soon.”
The Mets will begin another season without a key member of their lineup. Last season, the Mets were without Beltran, Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado for almost the entire second half and finished 70-92. David Wright and Johan Santana also missed time.
The likely candidate to replace Beltran in center field will be Angel Pagan, who was displaced from left field with Jason Bay’s addition. Pagan was among the bright spots for the Mets last season when he was healthy, batting .306 with six homers and 32 RBIs in 88 games.
With AP