Beltran, Mets at odds over knee op

Carlos Beltran said he was following doctor's orders with surgery to repair his right knee, and the Mets didn't ask him to delay the procedure until it was underway.

The All-Star center fielder contradicted the assertion of officials of the Major League Baseball team, who said they asked him to put off surgery until their medical staff had evaluated his condition.

"I have done nothing but follow the directions of my doctors. Any accusations that I ignored or defied the team's wishes are simply false," Beltran said in a statement released Thursday by his agent, Scott Boras.

"No one from the team raised any issue until Wednesday, after I was already in surgery," Beltran said. "I do not know what else I could have done."

Boras said Mets medical director David Altchek and trainer Ray Ramirez approved the operation on Tuesday.

Boras said chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon asked for the delay on Wednesday morning, when doctor Richard Steadman was already operating to remove cartilage fragments and bone spurs.

Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said Beltran had permission to be examined on Tuesday by Steadman but said the team weren't given the chance to evaluate Steadman's diagnosis.

Ricco said the Mets' request to Boras to delay surgery was made Tuesday evening.

Boras said Beltran didn't need the team's permission for the surgery, but Ricco indicated the team could seek to take action against the player. They could withhold his salary while he is on the disabled list.

"We sent a letter to the agent reserving our rights," Ricco said. "And that's where it stands right now."

Beltran, a five-time All-Star, missed 2 1/2 months last season with a painful bone bruise on his right knee. He still finished with a team-leading .325 batting average and .415 on-base percentage. He had 10 homers and 48 RBIs.