SANTANA OPEN-MINDED
Earns nod for Mets’ first game
PORT ST. LUCIE — There are still minefields that Johan Santana must avoid as he recovers from major shoulder surgery, but the Mets’ ace has progressed enough to start Thursday’s season opener, as Terry Collins spent the winter dreaming he would do.
That news became official Sunday, a pleasant resolution to a shaky week. How dicey was Santana’s status? According to a Mets source, the lefthander had a shot of the anti-inflammatory painkiller Toradol in recent days. Santana confirmed the shot, but downplayed its significance. “That’s not a big deal,” he told the Daily News. “I don’t really want to talk about that.”
Asked if the shot was for his shoulder or soreness in other parts of his body, Santana said, “Just for recovery, for everything.”
The past week reminded everyone how precarious Santana’s situation still is. After an uncomfortable start against St. Louis on Monday, Santana complained of soreness in his back and legs — and, it turns out, canceled a planned long-toss session, according to a team source. At that point, it seemed more likely that R.A. Dickey would start the opener, and Santana would make his debut in the fifth game of the season. “He felt really bad,” said one Mets insider.
By Friday, and perhaps with help from the Toradol, Santana had improved significantly, and Saturday’s bullpen session proceeded well. Walking off the mound that day, Santana told Collins that he could start Opening Day; in a meeting Sunday morning, they made it official.
Collins was smiling on Sunday, and he had reason to be pleased; he had a former Cy Young Award winner set to face the Atlanta Braves in the opener. Just as Collins hoped when camp opened in February, his rotation will proceed like this: Santana, Dickey, Jon Niese, Mike Pelfrey and Dillon Gee.
But Santana and the Mets understand that his recovery is still a process, and he will not spend April as a pitcher-in-full. Limited to little more than the 88 pitches he threw against the Cardinals last Monday, Santana will have to be efficient in order to last past the middle innings (as a hedge against that, the team plans to have Miguel Batista ready for multiple innings on days that Santana pitches).
Despite the complications, natural for any pitcher returning from surgery to repair a torn capsule in his shoulder, Santana’s presence will lift his manager and teammates.
Even Santana, who has emphasized caution throughout his recovery, allowed himself on Sunday to admit he was excited. After missing major league action since Sept. 2, 2010 — also against the Braves, when he left a game with what was first called a strained pectoral muscle and soon became a surgery that threatened to end his career — Santana is days away from returning to work. “It means everything that we have done since I had my surgery, all the way to today, has paid off,” Santana said. “We worked hard. And I’m very happy. I’m very happy that I have an opportunity to start the season from Day 1 with the team. That’s something that I really was looking forward to. I’m excited about it.”
NIESE DEAL: Jon Niese is likely to become a multimillionaire soon. The Mets and their 25-year-old lefthander are in serious discussions on a long-term contract, a person with direct knowledge of the talks confirmed. The sides are discussing a deal comparable to the five-year, $28.5 million package (with two club options) that the Rangers recently awarded lefty Derek Holland.
The person with direct knowledge said that the deal could be completed before Opening Day.
DICKEY SPIKED: R.A. Dickey was spiked while covering first base during Sunday’s game, requiring two stitches. Dickey lasted four innings in his final spring tuneup and allowed one run.
TORRES IMPROVING: Andres Torres played in another minor-league game on Sunday, attempting three stolen bases as a way to prove to Mets brass that his strained calf has healed. Terry Collins would like to use Torres against the Yankees on Tuesday, meaning the center fielder will likely be ready for Opening Day. The Mets were impressed by lefthander Josh Edgin this spring, but the team reassigned Edgin to minor league camp after Sunday’s game.