Valentin breaks leg by fouling off pitch

Updated: July 21, 2007, 5:05 PM ET
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Jose Valentin trudged into the New York Mets' clubhouse, discarded his crutches after sitting down at his locker, then slowly removed the soft cast protecting the broken shin that landed him on the disabled list Saturday for the second time this season.

All Valentin can do now is wait patiently to see how this latest injury pans out -- and if he will ever play another game for the Mets.

"I'm pretty sure that this team is going to be playing all the way through the World Series, so hopefully I'll be able to play in the postseason," Valentin said. "That's the good thing about it. Hopefully, I can be in a situation to help the team win. But I can't (predict) that right now, because I don't know how it's going to be after I get back."

The injury occurred in the fourth inning of Friday night's 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers when Valentin fouled a pitch off his leg. When the team returns to New York, doctors will replace the soft cast with a more conventional one.

The ball struck him just below the brace he had been wearing for the past 5½ weeks since he partially tore a ligament in his knee. An inch or two higher, and he'd still be playing.

"I've seen a lot of guys using shin guards, but I'm one of those guys who doesn't like to use those things. Besides, it doesn't happen too often to me," Valentin said. "If the ball's going to hit you, it's going to no matter what you're wearing. I mean, catchers use more protection than we do and they get hit all the time behind the plate."

Valentin played in 29 games after injuring his knee. He had planned to put off surgery on his knee until after the season in part because of a $4.3 million team option for next year that would become guaranteed if he reached 400 plate appearances.

"That's going to make it even worse. Now it's going to be impossible to get that many at-bats," said Valentin, batting .240 with three homers, 18 RBIs in 166 at-bats in 51 games. "But I wasn't worried about that (before the injury). I was more concerned about staying healthy for the rest of the year."

Valentin was on the DL three times before this season -- in 1997 due to a fractured left middle finger, in 1999 with a torn ligament in his left thumb, and in 2001 with a strained right hamstring.

"I just want to get through this and get healthy again," Valentin said. "If I have enough time to go, I'll go. If not, I'll shut down and wait to see what happens next year. I don't want to just go out there at 50 or 60 percent and not be able to play the way I want and help the team. It doesn't make any sense. Time is going to decide what's going to happen. Right now I'm in limbo."

Ruben Gotay, already a pleasant surprise for the Mets, figures to get even more playing time at second base until Valentin returns. Middle infielder Anderson Hernandez, who was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans Saturday to fill the vacant roster spot, also can fill in there. So can newly acquired outfielder Marlon Anderson in a pinch, manager Willie Randolph said.

"I'm happy for those guys," Valentin said. "They're my teammates, and they're doing well for the team. So I can't be selfish.

"Whoever takes that spot for me, hopefully they do better than I do -- because I want to win. And if we win the championship, we're all going to get the same prize."


Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

ESPN Conversations

comments

MORE MLB HEADLINES