by Bob Klapisch

The stakes are enormous, not only for Santana, who has a 6.50 ERA in his last six starts, but for the Mets themselves, who've been rocked by a steady stream of injuries that threaten to sabotage their pennant hopes before they even get to September. With Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, J.J. Putz and John Maine all on the disabled list, losing Santana would be the equivalent of doomsday at Citi Field.

Thus, the question that hangs over the Mets like an anvil: is Santana hurt? He says no, and has lost patience with the public dialogue. On Wednesday he dismissed a reporter from his locker, saying, "I'm not talking about it anymore." Instead, Santana and pitching coach Dan Warthen believe they've found the fatal flaw in the ace's delivery — a stiff release, almost as if Santana has been catapulting the ball, which has robbed his four-seam fastball of 2-3 mph.

If the fix is that simple, Santana should rebound in time to smother the Rays. He was, after all, crushing hitters earlier this season, posting an absurd 0.78 ERA in his first seven starts. But then came a series of nuisance injuries — a stiff back, a blister on his toe, a blister and split nail on the left index finger — that prompted former Mets' pitching coach Rick Peterson to wonder out loud if Santana was having difficulties with his left knee.

Peterson made his observation on ESPN Radio, citing a source within the Mets' organization. His theory was loudly renounced by the Mets, including Santana, who insists his knee — which was surgically repaired last offseason — has been the least of his worries in 2009.

Peterson, however, stands by his source, who suggested as early as April that Putz would end up needing surgery on his right elbow. As for Santana, Peterson says he mentioned the knee only as one of several possibilities to explain the pitcher's recent decline.

"All I said, very casually, is that I heard a rumor that Johan's knee might be barking," Peterson said by telephone on Thursday. "What I said was the truth, but if (the Mets) feel the need to trash me, then go for it. If all that drama makes them feel better, then it doesn't bother me. But anyone who criticizes me should listen to what I actually said about Johan, then tell me if I was really out of line."

The quote that Peterson is referring to went like this:

"When you've got a finger issue and you have that knee issue like he had before, you really start to get a little concerned about that."

Peterson says he holds no grudges against the team that fired him last year. Yet, the Mets' reaction underscores their sensitivity over the way they've handled their run of bad luck with injuries. Indeed, they've drawn back-channel criticism from within the industry for either failing to properly diagnose or treat their injured players in a timely fashion. One major league executive says the Mets' over-populated DL-roster must be more than a coincidence.

Johan Santana maintains he feels fine. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)

"There's something wrong with the process there (with the Mets)," said the official. "Clearly, when you have all these issues, and the pattern keeps repeating itself, you have to believe there's a problem."

GM Omar Minaya has steadfastly defended the team's medical staff, even after Ryan Church was allowed to fly to the west coast last year after being diagnosed with a concussion. And this year, Reyes played in three games after being diagnosed with hamstring problems on May 13, before finally suffering a tear that's kept him out of the lineup since May 20. The shortstop is likely to miss at least another month. Delgado is out until August following hip surgery.

Given that backdrop, is it any wonder the Mets are quashing talk that Santana is hurt, too? Their season depends on his durability; without him, there's no chance the Mets can hang with the Phillies until Reyes and Delgado return. As it is, the Mets go into the weekend series with the American League champions having dropped 6-of-8, including Thursday's loss to the Orioles during which Francisco Rodriguez blew his second save of the season.

After converting his first 17 save situations, K-Rod was due to bleed sooner or later. But his inability to hold down the O's in a two-run ninth inning, resulting in a 5-4 defeat, couldn't have come at a worse time for the Mets. Their next 13 games are against the Rays, Cardinals, Yankees and Brewers. That's an uncomfortable stretch for a team that's stuck in the middle of the pack in runs and slugging percentage (sixth in the NL in both categories) and without any home run threat (14th). The Mets are seventh in ERA, and partly because of Santana's dreadful June, their starters are 11th in the league with a 4.71 ERA.

Put those metrics in the blender and you're left with a non-negotiable fact: whatever's been wrong with Santana -- finger, knee, head, whatever -- the man better become The Man again. Quickly.