Pedro: "We will give everyone the surprise of the month..." - Says he will return soon!

In an interview with television channel CDN-37 in the Dominican Republic, Pedro Martinez was quoted as saying, "We will give everyone the surprise of the month, I think, if things keep going well and there are no further delays" - in reference to Omar Minaya's recent comments that he felt the 36-year old future hall-of-famer would need longer than the original 4-6 weeks to recover from his strained hamstring. ESPN reported Pedro's response a few moments ago, via Enrique Rojas and ESPN Deportes.

From ESPN:

Martinez, who was placed on the disabled list after injuring the left hamstring in his first start of the season on April 1, spent a few days in his native Dominican Republic to work with trainer Ángel "Nao" Presinal and to visit his ailing father. Martinez was due back in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday, pending a medical examination of his father.

"I feel a lot better than before. I'm very happy to have spent a few days with Nao and I made the most of my time here working," Martinez said.

"I am surprised with the way I am recovering. It's going much faster than I thought. Everything is moving smoothly," Martinez said. "The Mets know that I'm working and that I will not abandon them. I don't want it to be a long wait like everybody thinks."

Encouraging words, indeed...and IF Pedro does come back early, and can be the same pitcher he was at the end of last season, with the Santana-Perez-Maine-Pelfrey combo ahead of him and El Duque still trying to come back (not to mention Figueroa and Sosa waiting in the wings) our rotation will once again become the strong-point we expected it to be before the season began!