Johan Santana isn’t officially done for the season yet, but signs point to the Mets left-hander at minimum missing his scheduled start Thursday against the Rockies.
After experiencing lower-back soreness during a Monday bullpen session, Santana underwent an MRI exam Tuesday— the results of which the Mets say they won’t receive until Wednesday — at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.
The flare-up came after manager Terry Collins and general manager Sandy Alderson declared Santana fine to make at least one or two more starts this season, beginning with Thursday.
The new plan calls for righty Collin McHugh to be promoted from Triple-A Buffalo for tomorrow should it be determined Santana can’t or shouldn’t pitch. McHugh, 2-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts for Buffalo, will be added to the taxi squad today.
Santana has lost his last five starts, posting a 15.63 ERA in the process, but the Mets would like him to finish his season on a positive note. That explains why he hasn’t been shut down already.
Regardless, Collins says the Mets have already gotten plenty from Santana this season.
“I said in spring training if we got 28 starts out of him he’d have a big year,” Collins said before the Mets lost 6-2 to the Rockies. “We won’t get there, probably, but we’re at 21 now and I think that’s pretty good. He’s got to be very happy he got that far, which he is.”
mpuma@nypost.com