METS BELIEVE IN

Santana takes final bullpen test, is cautious

PORT ST. LUCIE — There were no fans at Digital Domain Park late Saturday morning, and most of Johan Santana’s teammates were already on I-95, headed south on a bus for an afternoon game against the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla.

But those in the Met family who remained in town — a group including Terry Collins, David Wright, Dan Warthen, R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, Al Jackson and trainer Ray Ramirez — gathered near the bullpen mound to watch the most crucial event of the weekend: Santana was throwing one final time, testing his body before deciding if he will start on Opening Day.

Tossing what the Mets called 39 warmup pitches and 32 game-situation pitches, Santana said he felt strong, but remained cautious about committing to a Thursday appearance at Citi Field against Tommy Hanson and the Atlanta Braves.

“We’ve got to go one step at a time, just like we have planned from the beginning,” Santana said. “Things can change from one day to another. We just have to make sure every time that it feels good. And that’s the way it has been so far. So if everything goes right, I’ll be there.”

Although Santana did not experience a setback, his week was not smooth. It began on Monday, when he could not get loose in the first inning against St. Louis, and saw diminished velocity.

“It was a tough day,” Santana conceded Saturday. “It was a rough day."

In the days after, he complained to teammates about back and leg soreness, and told them that he remained concerned about Opening Day. The Mets’ backup plan is to hold Santana until the fifth game of the season, but team brass is hopeful that he

‘Things can change from one day to another. We just have to make sure every time that it feels good. And that’s the way it has been so far. So if everything goes right, I’ll be there.’

JOHAN SANTANA

will be ready for the opener (a formal announcement will not come until Sunday at the earliest).

Collins said he would meet with Santana in the morning, and decide on his Opening Day starter.

“If it’s not going to be him, we’ve got to make a decision who is going to pitch when,” Collins said. “I’m not going to sacrifice the last two years that he has worked his butt off just to have him pitch Opening Day. If there is any discomfort at all, he is not pitching. We’ll pick another day."

On Saturday, the Mets allowed themselves to imagine Santana facing the Braves. During Santana’s high-energy bullpen session, Warthen stepped into the batters’ box and ordered the lefty to imagine him as one Atlanta hitter after another.

“Michael Bourn!” Warthen would shout. “Brian Mccann!"

The pitching coach later praised Santana, yelling, “Good speed. Good arm