September 30, 2008 John Maine underwent surgery on his should on Tuesday to remove a "lesion" on the back of his right shoulder socket, according to the NY Daily News.
Our View:Maine should be fully healthy by the start of next season, at which time the Mets will once again depend on him every five days as one of their starters. Because of the injury concerns and his less than strong performance this season (10-8, 4.18 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), Maine should come fairly cheaply next season.
September 28, 2008 John Maine is slated for surgery next week to fix a bone spur problem in his right shoulder, according to the NY Post.
Our View:He should be good to go for spring training after finishing the year with a 4.31 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. Given his struggles with injury this season, and his decline in performance, Maine's outlook is nowhere near as solid as it was at the start of the 2008 campaign.
September 25, 2008 The Daily News reports that John Maine will not be used the rest of the season. Manager Jerry Manuel said it's his decision alone, even though medical staff has cleared him. Manuel said he can't in good conscience use a young player in a game who needs surgery. "I just don't like anybody pitching young with anything," Manuel said. "That's just my hang-up."
Our View:If the Mets don't make the playoffs, this will not have been a popular move. It's hard to argue with Manuel's logic though. It's a figurative "breath of fresh air" to see a manager put the good of the player ahead of the good of the team.
September 24, 2008 Metsblog.com reports that John Maine has been activated from the disabled list. He had not appeared since August 23rd due to a bone spur in his throwing shoulder.
Our View:Maine will likely be used out of relief if used at all. If he were to somehow find his way into the closer's role, which is not entirely impossible because of the Mets' bullpen woes, he would hold some fantasy value.
September 23, 2008 John Maine tossed lightly before the game and hopes to be activated Wednesday, according to the AP Our View:Maine will be used as a reliever when/if he returns, which makes his fantasy value pretty much non-existent.
