NEW YORK (AP) -Mets pitcher Oliver Perez, a major bust so far this season, is headed to the disabled list because of tendinitis in his right knee.
Perez returned to New York as a free agent for a $36 million, three-year contract, then was dropped from the rotation after going 1-2 with a 9.97 ERA in five starts. He had an MRI on Wednesday that revealed patellar tendinitis, which causes pain in the kneecap.
“Sometimes I was thinking about it and I wasn’t comfortable on the mound. But that’s no excuse,” Perez said after New York’s 1-0 win over Philadelphia. “I just want to get healthy and come back.”
Left-hander Jonathon Niese will be recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to start Friday night against Pittsburgh, keeping 40-year-old rookie Ken Takahashi in the bullpen.
The Mets originally said Takahashi would start Friday.
“It keeps the bullpen in order,” general manager Omar Minaya said. “By having Takahashi in the bullpen, it keeps everybody in their set role.”
with a 7.07 ERA in three September starts for New York last year.
Perez has allowed 21 walks and 28 hits in 21 2-3 innings. He said the knee injury has hampered his mechanics.
“I’ve just been using my arm,” he explained.
Minaya said Perez will be put on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, a move retroactive to May 3. There is no timetable for his return.
“When the pain goes away, you can come back quickly,” Perez said. “I just want to be healthy and help my team. I don’t want to continue having the pain and getting worse.”
The Mets weren’t happy with Perez’s conditioning when the left-hander returned from the World Baseball Classic in March, and they’ve seemed puzzled about what to do with him all year.
Perez, who will begin a rehabilitation program at the Mets’ complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., said he started feeling pain in his knee late in spring training, and that’s when he told the team.
Minaya, however, said Perez informed the club about his knee problems seven to 10 days ago.
“The bottom line is he was on our medical report for over a week now,” Minaya said. “He’s had somewhat of a history of this, even last year.”
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