Carlos Beltran Needs To Consider Surgery Now, Not Later

Carlos Beltran needs to consider having his elbow clean up surgery to help alleviate the pain with his bone spurs now rather than waiting until the offseason. The Yankees are not going anywhere this season, especially with a struggling Beltran as an automatic out in the middle of the lineup, and it only makes sense to get the surgery now. Beltran is struggling mightily and cannot get a fourth cortisone shot in the elbow legally this season. Beltran is hurting the team and needs to sit down and take himself out of the lineup because manager Joe Girardi is not going to do it for him.

Beltran has a season triple slash of .238/.307/.413 and only hit .242/.330/.396 in August with three home runs and ten RBI. That kind of production is hard to swallow from your number nine hitter in the order or at a position not known for its offense, second base for example, but it is especially hard to swallow from Beltran. Beltran is always hitting in the heart of the order, a lot of the times until recently in the all-important number three hole, and plays a production heavy position in right field and designated hitter.

Beltran is soon to be 38 years old and 38 year old players don’t heal the way a 28 year old does. The more time for Beltran to rest, rehab, and heal the better from an elbow surgery, even one as minor as the removal of a bone spur. With two more years and $30 million left on the contract for New York they need to do everything they can to get the most out of Beltran for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Everyone needs to sit down, evaluate that this team is not making the playoffs or a deep run in the playoffs if by some miracle they get there, and Beltran is hurting the team now and later if he waits until the offseason to have the surgery.

It won’t happen, but it should.