A long season has saddled Johan Santana with back pain, ankle discomfort and other maladies that he considers normal wear-and-tear for a starting pitcher. But examine them in the context of Santana's road back from left shoulder surgery, not to mention his importance to the team, and it becomes obvious why the New York Mets are considering shutting him down for the season. Even so, that plan will not come into effect just yet. The Mets said prior to Monday's 3-1 loss to the Rockies that Santana should make his next start as scheduled on Thursday, with the team revisiting the idea of shutting him down at a later date. But that depends on the results of an MRI on Santana's lower back, which he will receive Tuesday. "At some point, there's a diminishing return," general manager Sandy Alderson said. "It's been a long year, a long offseason of rehab. Johan actually has accomplished quite a bit over the course of this season and, at the appropriate t...
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August 22, 2012
