Chris Young Out For Season With Shoulder Tear

At that point, Young was faced with a choice: He could either try to rehab the injury over a period of several weeks or months, or he could have surgery. On Thursday, Young opted for surgery, which will be performed on May 16 and will knock Young out for the rest of the 2011 regular season, with the beginning of 2012 also in question.

Young’s season ends with a 1.88 ERA over 24 innings in four starts, with 22 strikeouts.

So much for a quick return from the DL. At this point, it’s an open question as to whether Young returns at all in 2011. Which, unfortunately, shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody, seeing as how he’s thrown all of 120 Major League innings since the beginning of 2009. Young’s struggled with shoulder problems, and the shoulder problems just won’t leave him alone.

Where it seemed like Young was fairly healthy and ready to contribute in the immediate or near future, now there are questions about whether or not he’ll take the mound again over the rest of the year. His MRI results are currently being examined more closely so as to gain a better understanding of what’s going on.

If there’s any silver lining here, it’s this: if Young can’t pitch again this season, the Mets will only be on the hook for his $1.1 million base salary, and they won’t get into any of his incentives. The Mets signed Young knowing perfectly well that he was a health risk, and the contract was structured as such.

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? Andrew Keh:

Meanwhile, who knows when Chris Young will pitch again? As Keh points out, Young has answered the bell only 40 times since 2007, due to a variety of shoulder and (lately) bicep injuries. As close as he came to pitching Saturday night, perhaps we should assume he will actually pitch before long. Just don’t be surprised if Dillon Gee starts more games for the Mets this season than Chris Young.

With Chris Young still dealing with a biceps injury, the New York Mets have placed their big starter on the 15-day disabled list. The move is retroactive to April 11.

Young does have a long injury history, but this particular problem doesn’t appear to be severe. Pat Mitsch has been recalled to work out of the bullpen, but Young should be back soon. He’s allowed two runs in two starts, with six walks and 12 strikeouts.