Zambrano Out For the Season

Rick Peterson called it "a punch in the soul."

I call it "manna from heaven."

Well, maybe it's not that great but if the Mets don't reach expectations this year, we won't have Victor Zambrano to blame. During Saturday's game he hurt his elbow and just ran off the mound. He tore a tendon in his elbow and will likely be back for spring training next year.

The strange thing about this was, right before his last pitch Randolph, and the trainer, Ray Ramirez, visited the mound and Zambrano told them he was fine. Apparently, earlier in the week he told Pedro (his best friend on the team) and Jose Reyes that his elbow hurt. Maybe all the Hispanic players feel closer to one another than to the English speaking coaches. Zambrano could have at least spoken to Manny Acta.

He said he realizes now that he should have told them, but he wanted to pitch through the pain. He said he's felt pain before and pitched through it. But after that last pitch be felt something pop.

He probably will never pitch for the Mets again. Rick Peterson will never get to prove how great a pitching coach he is by salvaging Zambrano.