New York Mets pitcher, Dillon Gee, will undergo surgery Friday to repair artery damage in his pitching shoulder, according to ESPN.com.
Gee's trouble began with numbness in his fingers on Sunday. He was initially admitted on Monday, and testing revealed a clot.
The Mets said in a statement Wednesday that Gee, 26, who is 6-7 this season with a 4.10 run average, was considering several treatment options to prevent any further clotting. Gee could miss the remainder of the season after having a surgical procedure that will remove the clot that formed.
The Mets have summoned the 41-year-old Miguel Batista from the bullpen to take Gee's place in rotation.
Starting pitching is the Mets' strength-the team ranks third in the NL in rotation ERA. Depth, though, is an issue, particularly when the Mets are rightly unwilling to push their top prospects, right-handers Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler.
The team's needs are obvious: The Mets rank 13th in the NL in OPS from the catcher's spot and last in the league in bullpen ERA. But the upcoming schedule is difficult, and club officials want to make sure the team can stay in contention before making any significant moves.
One predicted move to be made by the Mets would be the pursuit of Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez, who has been atop of their wish list at the catcher position for some time, through a potential trade.
The discussions are serious enough that one source said, while offering no guarantee: "I think Hernandez will be a Met."
Hernandez, 36, is hitting .215 with four homers and 15 RBI's in 93 at-bats. Hernandez has $3.2 million salaries this year and in 2013.
The Mets are currently in third place in the NL East half a game behind the Atlanta Braves and 4 back from the first place Washington Nationals.
