PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) -New York Mets outfielder Angel Pagan is planning to return to the field quickly after another disappointing injury.
Pagan had arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. The Mets estimate Pagan will be out for six to eight weeks but he feels he is on a faster track than that.
“I have pretty good motion in it right now,” said Pagan, turning his bandaged arm inward and outward in the clubhouse Sunday morning.
Pagan had an MRI in New York last Monday, met with team doctors Tuesday in Port St. Lucie, then returned to New York for the operation. He hit .467 with two RBIs in five exhibition games.
The injury stalled the progress of the outfielder, who Mets manager Jerry Manuel said needed at-bats to showcase himself this spring.
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“It’s not going to be six to eight (weeks), I don’t think, because I’m going to work hard,” he said. “I’ll be rehabbing for three to four weeks, then let’s see what we do after that. Hopefully a few rehab games to get back into shape.
“I can start throwing after four weeks, but it’s not going to take too long because I have been throwing. I don’t know about hitting.”
Pressed into regular duty early on because of injuries, the speedy Pagan got off to a fine start last year before a shoulder tear ended his season on May 7. He finished with a .275 batting average and 13 RBIs in 91 at-bats.
“It’s only going to be a few weeks,” Pagan said. “It’s not as frustrating as the shoulder one, where we were talking about months.”
His elbow began to bother him during his first few games this spring. The Mets shut him down last weekend and opted for surgery.
“When the first couple of games started, it just came out of the blue,” Pagan said. “It was a normal pain. I just kept playing with it and trying to play through it, but it just kept getting worse.
“It is disappointing, but I’m just trying to stay as positive as I can because I just came from a big surgery. This stuff happens.”
of the ordinary. He missed his previous turn in the rotation because of a muscle strain in his lower left leg. … The Mets reassigned RHP Tony Armas Jr. to minor league camp.
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