Mets Confirm Mike Pelfrey Needs Tommy John Surgery

Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey is slated to undergo Tommy John surgery, the Star-Ledger's Andy McCullough is reporting. Others have confirmed the surgery is planned, and the Mets' twitter feed announced that the pitcher is indeed headed to Birmingham, Alabama to meet with Dr. James Andrews.

Though the surgery has a high success rate, and Pelfrey should be fine in a year's time, the news comes at a tough time for the tall right-hander. This year, so far, he's been able to garner more swinging strikes and ground balls than ever before. His velocity was up, and he was using his breaking balls more than ever. There was some hope that he'd turned the corner finally.

Next year will also be the last year in which the Mets control Pelfrey's rights. Depending on how his offseason rehab goes, and how much he's awarded in arbitration, there's a chance that this is the last time Mets fans see him in their uniform. It's important to remember, especially with a pitcher down his luck like this, that he's provided value to the Mets even through his inconsistency. So far, he's been worth over nine wins above replacement, or as much as $50 million, and he's only cost the team close to $15 million.

Let's wish him luck on his long road back, and thank him for services rendered so far.