New York Mets general managers Sandy Alderson denied criticism that the team's ace pitcher Johan Santana's shoulder injury can be traced to his 134-pitch no-hitter last June. Alderson told Mike Lupica on ESPN New York 98.7 FM there is "little to suggest it had to do with the no hitter."

"He continued to pitch," Alderson son. "He was symptom-free for a period of time thereafter."

Santana, who missed to 2011 season because of shoulder surgery, re-tore the anterior capsule in his pitching shoulder this spring. After returning from an injury in 2012, many questioned leaving Santana in for so many pitches even when with the franchise's only no-hitter in history on the line.

Santana's season ended in mid-August. He had an 8.27 ERA over the 10 starts after the no-no before ending the season on the disabled list.

Anderson was asked the hypothetical question of whether Santana's chase of the first no-hitter in Mets history was worth the franchise losing their best pitcher.

"No," the GM said. "That wouldn't have been a price to be paid. Was [the no-hitter] a nice part of Mets history? Yeah, absolutely. If it came at the price of Johan's career? No, not worth it."