Four To Six Weeks

David Lennon at Newsday writes about Alou's surgery and how long he will be out:

The Mets, despite a dizzying rash of injuries, clung tightly to the belief that they would be at full strength by Opening Day. But that's no longer possible after the team learned last night that Moises Alou is scheduled for hernia surgery today and will miss the next four to six weeks.

Of all the Mets' recent ailments, this one hurts bad, and is likely to have general manager Omar Minaya immediately seeking help on the trade front. Minaya understood heading into this season that Alou's productivity would be limited by a stint or two on the disabled list and frequent breaks for rest. Last season, Alou batted .341, but he only appeared in 87 games, and he's not off to a promising start this year, which happens to come with an $8.5-million price tag.