The New York Mets have shut down veteran pitcher Johan Santana for the season. The news came late Wednesday afternoon from general manager Sandy Alderson, who said Santana has lower back inflammation that will not require surgery.
The injury itself, which was discovered after an MRI on Tuesday, would not usually keep Santana out for the whole season as doctors are prescribing just rest and medication. However, the Mets (57-66) are very quickly slipping out of the postseason race, and it would do the 33-year-old veteran no good to keep him throwing.
[Related: Yankees place Ivan Nova on disabled list]
Santana will end his season with a 6-9 record and a 4.85 ERA. Those numbers are a bit deceiving, as Santana was a key factor in New York's solid first half, which included the former Cy Young Award winner tossing the franchise's first ever no-hitter on June 1.
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