Johan Santana Might Have Injured Himself During No-Hitter

New York Mets left hander Johan Santana might have injured himself during his historic outing on June 1, pitching the first no-hitter in Mets history.

Since then, Santana has seen his ERA rise from 2.38 all the way up to 4.85, following his Friday night pounding at the hands of the Washington Nationals.

According to the New York Daily News, Santana might have injured himself during the outing, or at the least, was willing to sacrifice his arm in order to etch his name into history books.

That night of that no-hitter, in a frozen moment at the center of the jumping and screaming, one teammate did ask Johan Santana the real question: What if those 134 pitches hurt your arm?

As the friend remembered it, Santana looked directly at him and said, "It would still be worth it."

Santana isn't necessarily against being shut down for the season, either.

So is it time to shut him down for the year? Asked three times, the man himself did not reject the notion, as a healthy athlete might.

"I don't know," Santana said. "The next outing, we'll see what the whole situation will |be. Right now, I feel fine. We'll see the next couple days what they have to say, or what we are going to do."

Later, he added: "Whatever they want to do, as long as it works out for everybody in the long term, I think it will be fine."

With the Mets having nothing to play for in 2012, ensuring that Santana is healthy into 2013 is likely New York's top priority.

For the latest on the Mets, head over to Amazin' Avenue.