Mets officials are aware that Mike Pelfrey has suffered a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and are bracing to lose the right-hander to season-ending surgery, a major league source told ESPNNewYork.com.

Sandy Alderson allowed for that possibility on Tuesday afternoon when he noted a ligament tear had not been ruled out.

Pelfrey is expected to seek a second opinion before committing to any procedure.

A season-ending injury could end Pelfrey's Mets career, too. He is making $5.6875 million this season and is eligible for arbitration one more time. He must make at least 80 percent of that sum in order to retain his services. And, via arbitration, he very likely would get a comparable sum to this year's salary.