Floyd to have surgery on Achilles'

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York Mets left fielder Cliff Floyd plans to play Monday, then have season-ending surgery on his troublesome right Achilles' heel at the end of the month.

"The doctor said for it to be 95 or 100 percent, it's going to take four or five months," Floyd said before Friday night's game against the Colorado Rockies. "It's unfortunate because I really wanted to play the rest of the season."

Floyd, 30, entered the day batting .271 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in his first year with the Mets. He has played in pain most of the season, visibly struggling to run the bases or track down balls in the outfield.

"I learned a lot about myself this season playing hurt," said Floyd, who has fought leg injuries throughout his 11-year career. "I tried to push myself and play hard."

Floyd, an NL All-Star in 2001, was traded twice in a three-week span last season -- from Florida to Montreal and then to Boston. He signed a $26 million, four-year contract with the Mets as a free agent last December.

"I know when I go out there and try to push myself, I can't do all the things I need to do on the field," Floyd said. "So I decided to shut it down and get ready for next year. I don't want any questions lingering into spring training about my health. I want that to be old news."

The Mets complete their current homestand Monday against Colorado, then go on a nine-game road trip. Floyd said he won't accompany the team on the trip -- instead he'll stay behind to prepare for the surgery he expects to have around Aug. 28 or 29.

"He's been in an awful lot of pain," Mets manager Art Howe said. "It just shows you what he's made of. He's a special kid."

The blackout that forced the postponement of New York's game against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night didn't help Floyd, either. He said he walked up 32 flights of stairs to get to his apartment, which had no running water.

"That was crazy," Floyd said. "I had nothing. We had one candle. You had to make do with two bottles of water and a Snickers bar."

 

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