PORT ST. LUCIE — Johan Santana wasn’t about to try anything “crazy” on a bullpen mound yesterday at the Mets spring training complex. Just taking the ball with the temperature in the upper 40s and a howling wind might have seemed crazy enough.
In less than 10 minutes, Santana was done, having completed his first of many firsts this spring with a 20-pitch bullpen session. It marked Santana’s first appearance on a mound since being shut down last August because of fatigue.
“I don’t think it was my best or anything, but it’s Day 1,” Santana said. “You’ve got to start at some point, and today was the beginning for me.”
DAVIDOFF: AMAZIN’ VET PRESENCE BEHIND PLATE
The 33-year-old Santana’s work will be scrutinized all spring as the Mets try to get the left-hander through a full season for the first time since 2008. Manager Terry Collins wants Santana on the mound for Opening Day, on April 1 against the Padres at Citi Field, and another 30-35 subsequent starts.
At least, for a change, Santana isn’t rehabbing from an injury. He spent this offseason resting, without the burden of a rehab routine to consider. This after spending the previous two winters rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder.
Santana spent the winter after the 2008 season rehabbing from knee surgery and the following offseason he rehabbed from arthroscopic elbow surgery.
This offseason was mostly about letting the aches and pains subside, including the lower back stiffness that told the Mets to shut him down last August.
Santana’s season had been in a tailspin following his June 1 no-hitter against the Cardinals, in which he needed 134 pitches. Over his final 10 starts he had an 8.27 ERA and wasn’t helped by a disabled list stint necessitated by a sprained right ankle sustained when the Cubs’ Reed Johnson stepped on Santana’s foot as he covered first base.
Overall, Santana went 6-9 with a 4.85 ERA in 21 starts, spanning 117 innings for the Mets last season.
“We know he’s healthy, know he’s rested, so we’ll just make sure he doesn’t skip a beat, which I don’t think he’s going to do,” Collins said. “I’m not concerned there’s going to be an issues at all.”
The manager said Santana’s first Grapefruit League start is scheduled for March 2 against the Marlins, in which he will likely throw 35-40 pitches. Collins’ master plan for the season has Santana atop the rotation with a right-hander second and lefty Jon Niese third. Matt Harvey, Dillon Gee and Shaun Marcum are the right-handed components of the rotation.
Santana, who is in the final guaranteed year of a $137.5 million contract, admitted he had a little anxiety before taking the mound yesterday.
“After awhile, not throwing off the mound, you don’t know what to expect,” Santana said. “You don’t know your mechanics or anything — you don’t want to bounce the first one — and I was fine. I was happy I was able to get on the mound and get the first one out of the way and start all over again.”
Santana joked he picked the coldest day all spring to throw his first bullpen session. Collins empathized with him.
“It was just a little too cold for him, which I understand,” Collins said. “The first day you throw off a mound, it’s 40 degrees. It’s not that comfortable.”