Pedro expects to pitch for Mets in second half

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SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Pedro Martinez is encouraged by his recovery from rotator cuff surgery and confident that he'll return to the New York Mets for the second half of this season.

"I am super excited with how things are progressing. I feel as good as I did in 1996 and 1997."

-- Pedro Martinez

"I am super excited with how things are progressing. I feel as good as I did in 1996 and 1997," the 35-year-old ace told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

That would be good news for the Mets: In 1997 with Montreal, he led the league with a 1.90 ERA, 305 strikeouts and 13 complete games and won the NL Cy Young Award.

Martinez, who was visiting his native Dominican Republic for a charity event, expects to return to the Mets' training facility in Florida on Sunday.

"I haven't felt any pain during rehabilitation and I think that in a month I'll be throwing from the mound and then do a short rehabilitation in the minors," he said.

But the three-time Cy Young Award winner has no illusions that the surgery will prolong a career in which he has posted a 206-92 record with a 2.81 ERA and 2,998 strikeouts. Last season, he was 9-8 with a 4.48 ERA.

"The rehabilitation isn't going to extend my career, but it is going to make things much more comfortable," he said.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

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