Sandy Alderson said Chris Young will be rejoining the organization on a minor league deal, 10 months after surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in the right-hander's pitching shoulder.
Young is due to fly to New York on Tuesday, where he will be examined by team doctor David Altchek, who performed the procedure last May 16. The GM expects Young will be in Port St. Lucie by Tuesday evening and report to work the following morning.
Chris Young
Starting Pitcher
New York Mets
"At that point, or shortly thereafter, he'll throw and we'll see where he is," said Alderson, who met with Young in late December in San Diego and remained in periodic contact. "Right now we don't have an expectation other than a general one -- that he'll be able to pitch at some point. Until he's seen by the doctor, and we actually see him throw, we really can't make an estimate as to when he might be ready.
"He wanted to wait to make a decision until he had progressed to a certain point, at least in his mind. He got to this stage and felt he was ready to go in a more structured environment, so we'll see what happens."
Alderson said Young already has been throwing off a mound on his own. He underwent the same procedure that Johan Santana underwent on Sept. 14, 2010. Santana is just returning to major league action now.
"I'm sure there are parallels," Alderson said. "The same physician did both surgeries. Start with that point. But, other than that, I think what we've seen more and more often is you have to take these situations individually. There may be a general timeframe, but each surgery is different. Each injury is different. And the recovery time may vary also."
Alderson said Young is "unlikely" to be considered as anything but a starter. The Mets, like any team, figure to go through more than five pitchers in the rotation during the season. So Young, as well as prospects such as Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia, would be candidates for a second-half role if ready. By then, Mike Pelfrey could be on the trading block if the Mets have faded, too.
"Chris was a real positive for us in spring training last year," Alderson said. "He pitched well early in the year. Unfortunately, he re-injured his shoulder. We'd like to see him get back to the point where he was with us early last year and go from there, because he's been an All-Star and quality guy to have on the team."