Santana has surgery on knee

The Mets acknowledged that Johan Santana had arthroscopic surgery today to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Agent Chris Leible tells the Daily News that Santana actually had been banged up for a month, but had vowed to complete the season with the injury.

Santana knew his knee had trouble, but didn’t want to know the extent until after the season. The diagnosis was made Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and the procedure was performed by team doctors David Altchek and Struan Coleman today.

“I don’t think he really wanted to know,” Leible said. “He told me that the only way he was not going to finish the season was if they took him to the hospital in an ambulance.

“He went on his own two feet.

“It hurt him, but he didn’t find out until yesterday (the exact diagnosis). He said to me after the game on Tuesday night, ‘I need you to do me a favor tomorrow. Can you get me a new knee?’ He pitched that (complete) game (Saturday) on one knee. It bothered him for at least a month.”

That’s why Jerry Manuel had been so adamant last week that Santana wouldn’t be able to go on short rest and Jon Niese would be required to start Saturday unless Santana demanded the ball.

Santana will fully recover for spring training.

Source: Adam Rubin/NY Daily News