PORT ST. LUCIE — Terry Collins isn’t thinking about Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey or anybody other than his true ace for the Mets’ Opening Day pitching assignment.
The manager is banking on Johan Santana.
“In my mind right now, in my heart, he’ll be ready — I don’t think there’s any question,” Collins said yesterday during his state of the Mets address to open camp. “He’s gearing himself up for that to be ready and we’re going to take this very slowly and cautiously.”
Collins added he envisions Santana giving the team 25-28 starts.
Santana got to work later in the morning and threw about 30 pitches — the lefty’s second mound session this spring as he attempts a comeback from 2010 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder.
Santana reported feeling good after yesterday’s session, but was not about to back up Collins’ prediction concerning Opening Day and making 25-28 starts.
“Going through everything I went through last year, one day you feel good, one day you don’t feel so good,” Santana said. “It’s like a roller coaster. Right now, so far, I’m feeling really good and hopefully toward the end, mid-spring training, we’ll have a better idea where we’re at and see if we’ll be ready for Opening Day.”
If Santana reports no soreness today, he could return to a bullpen mound tomorrow to throw 30-35 pitches. The Mets already have him tentatively scheduled to start and pitch one inning on March 5 in the team’s exhibition opener against the Nationals.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen said it’s clear Santana has improved physically from last year.
“Everything looked different [today],” Warthen said. “Everything looks like the Johan I saw once upon a time in 2008. Delivery-wise, the freedom, no trepidation.”
Santana is raring to go.
“I’ve been through a lot the last couple of years,” Santana said. “And finally it’s exciting for me to be out on the field and do all the things I used to do and be around with the guys.”
Collins said the Mets are a better team with Santana around, and not just because of his pitching ability.
“He’s a presence in the clubhouse,” Collins said. “He’s the one guy who has no problem getting in somebody else’s face about something, and it just makes us better. He just takes the rest of the pitching staff and he’s one of those kind of guys that says, ‘Boys, just follow me.’ ”