Cleveland catcher Carlos Santana to have surgery, will be sidelined 4-6 months: Indians Insider

Santana will undergo surgery on his left knee Friday at Cleveland Clinic after being injured in a collision at the plate Monday in Boston.

BOSTON — Carlos Santana and the Indians were made for each other. Rebuilding as they are, few teams could better afford to hit a rookie catcher in the middle of the lineup while he learned the big-league life.

Santana's lessons will have to wait until next year. He'll undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee Friday at Cleveland Clinic to repair a strained lateral collateral ligament in his left knee. Indians head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff said Santana's recovery time will be four to six months.

Dr. Rick Parker will perform the operation.

The switch-hitting Santana was injured in a collision at the plate with Boston left fielder Ryan Kalish in the seventh inning Monday night at Fenway Park.

"Carlos is expected to make a full recovery by the beginning of the 2011 [regular] season," Soloff said.

Soloff said this is not reconstructive surgery, which usually requires six months to a year of recovery time, because most of the damage to Santana's knee appears to be outside the knee. When an athlete suffers a torn anterior cruciate ligament or a posterior cruciate ligament, those injuries take place inside the knee.

Santana's surgery does not require a ligament from a different part of his body to be added to the injured area.

The LCL in Santana's left knee is strained (torn), but Soloff said it should be able to be repaired with existing ligament. He said the surgery is necessary to stabilize the "lateral, or outside aspect, of his left knee."

Santana was hitting .260 (39-for-150) with 23 runs, 13 doubles, six homers and 22 RBI in 46 games with the Indians. He started the year at Class AAA Columbus and hit .316 (62-for-196) with 14 doubles, 13 homers and 51 RBI.

He gone: Third base coach Steve Smith was fined and suspended for two games for his part in Tuesday's benches-clearing melee with the Red Sox. Tribe pitcher Jensen Lewis was fined as well.

Boston's Josh Beckett, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury were fined. Youkilis, Pedroia, Cameron and Ellsbury came on the field while on the disabled list.

Smith began serving his suspension Thursday.

Bob Watson, MLB's dean of discipline, in a statement said Smith was suspended for his "inappropriate and aggressive actions" during the incident.

The umpire's report, filed by crew chief Tim Welke, singled out Smith for taunting the Red Sox when the initial confrontation had been calmed down. Smith, as he said Tuesday night, has a history of being ejected and fined by MLB.

Acta, who coached third base in Smith's place, called the decision "sad and unfair."

"I think Smitty is being judged on his past, and it's sad," said Acta. "For everything that happened out there with the pictures and videos [of the incident], and you're going to tell me the only guy to get suspended out of that whole thing is Steve Smith? I think it's unfair."

Acta believes managers and coaches aren't treated fairly by MLB when it comes to being disciplined.

"We don't have a right to appeal," he said. "To me, it's unfair. A player can bump an umpire, hit a guy in the head and appeal and continue to play. A coach has no right, not even to be heard.

"You ask coaches to police 25 guys, who are sometimes making 20 times as much as them, to get the speed of the game and the discipline in order. I think the least you can do is treat us fair, treat us the same."

This is not a new argument for Acta.

"I know the answers to all the questions I'm asking," he said. "You're not part of the union. Life is tough, get a helmet. If you don't like your job, quit. It beats asking 'Paper or plastic?' at a grocery story. But it still doesn't make it fair."

Hot corner: Acta coached third for five years with the Mets and Expos. He coached third as well throughout his minor-league managing career.

"I just don't think it's fair to ask anybody who hasn't coached third base in the big leagues to do it here," said Acta. "This is the toughest park in the big leagues to coach third base."

Finally: Anthony Reyes has a sore back and will throw a bullpen session for the Indians today to see if he can resume the rehab assignment. . . . The Indians reclaimed Wes Hodges from the Rockies and optioned him to Columbus. . . . Youkilis will have season-ending surgery on his right thumb today.