Mejia set for surgery; Hefner may not be far behind

NEW YORK -- One Mets starting pitcher is on his way to season-ending surgery, and another may not be far behind.

Right-hander Jenrry Mejia will have surgery within the next seven to 10 days to remove a bone spur "and whatever other debris is in" his right elbow, according to Mets manager Terry Collins. Mejia has been facing the prospect of surgery for most of this summer, but the timetable changed when his symptoms worsened this week in San Diego.

With Mejia out of the rotation for the rest of the year, Collins said that right-hander Carlos Torres will join the rotation this Friday against the Tigers, and stay there for the foreseeable future.

Collins also said he fully expects Mejia to be ready not simply for the start of Spring Training, but perhaps even for winter ball.

The prognosis is not as bright for right-hander Jeremy Hefner, whose examination Tuesday morning ended with doctors recommending Tommy John surgery to repair the partially torn MCL in his right elbow. Hefner plans to receive a second opinion in the near future, knowing a Tommy John operation would sideline him for most, if not all, of next season.