MIAMI — The New York Mets have lost their third pitcher for the season in two days, an alarming rate even by their standards.

Left-hander Oliver Perez will require season-ending surgery to repair patella tendon tendinosis in his right knee, the team said after he was examined Wednesday in New York.
The injury ends a dismal season for Perez, who is expected to fully recover and be ready for spring training. He becomes the 13th Mets player on the disabled list, with the pitching staff especially hard-hit this week.
“This is the year for this to happen,” manager Jerry Manuel said. “We’ve got to get it done and move forward, and hopefully we’ll have some healthier days coming.”
On Tuesday, the Mets announced ace Johan Santana and reliever J.J. Putz are out for the season. Santana needs surgery for bone chips in his elbow, while Putz had a setback in his recovery from elbow surgery and has been shut down as a preventative measure.
Perez, who signed a $36 million, three-year contract last offseason, finished 3-4 in 14 starts. He was sidelined more than two months because of the ailing knee earlier this year, and Manuel said the injury probably affected the left-hander’s conditioning.
Perez lasted only two-thirds of an inning in his final start Sunday against Philadelphia and gave up six runs, hiking his ERA to 6.82. His next turn in the rotation Friday at Chicago will be taken by left-hander Pat Misch or right-hander Lance Broadway, Manuel said.
The Mets began the year with high hopes, but injuries sabotaged their season. Among the players on the disabled list are David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and John Maine.