New York Mets left-hander Johan Santana is due to undergo surgery Tuesday morning to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder, the team announced Monday.
The procedure will be performed by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Santana's MRI exam was reviewed by Dr. James Andrews on Monday, and the Birmingham, Ala.-based doctor concurred that surgery was required, a team official said.
The Mets expect Santana will be available to pitch in April, although his start to the season conceivably could be delayed at least slightly.
Santana, 31, went 11-9 with a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts this season. He was pulled from his final outing on Sept. 2 at Atlanta as a precaution after five innings because he was experiencing tightness. The team originally diagnosed it as a pectoral strain, but an MRI taken a week later, after the Mets returned to New York, revealed the anterior capsule strain.
Adam Rubin covers the Mets for ESPNNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.