PORT ST. LUCIE — Jon Niese knows he’s not everyone’s first choice to be the Mets’ starting pitcher on April 1.
“Johan [Santana] wants that Opening Day spot, so he’s working hard for it,” Niese said. “It’s his spot. If it changes, I guess I’ll welcome the opportunity.”
Santana’s availability for that first game is still very much in doubt, but after the Mets got involved in a public spat with their most expensive player, it now seems both the team and its ace are confident he is going in the right direction.
He may, in fact, make a Grapefruit League start as soon as next week.
“He’s scheduled to get on the mound in about seven days,” Terry Collins said. “I think he’s gonna make that. All signs are pointing that he’s gonna be ready.”
Even if Santana gets back on the mound in a week, it would be a long shot for him to pitch the opener.
Santana wanted to pitch for his national team, but the Mets preferred he didn’t — and as Collins pointed out, he wouldn’t have been ready, physically, anyway.
But after playing catch with a weighted ball, throwing off a half-mound and doing some fielding drills yesterday before Niese and the Mets lost to Team Venezuela, 14-10, at Tradition Field yesterday, Santana showed further progress in his comeback from the shoulder fatigue that cut short his season last year.
“He’s happy with the way he feels and the way he’s throwing right now,” Collins said. “I think it’s a major step forward for us.”
Collins was adamant about not setting a date, but the Mets play a home game against the Tigers a week from today, making that a possibility.
When asked why the team’s attitude seems to have changed in the last few days, Collins said: “We were cautious. He’s thrown a couple of [bullpen sessions] and he’s got to throw live batting practice and have him face some hitters. He’ll probably have another bullpen, then a batting practice [session] and then get on a mound. You can do that in the next seven days.”
If nothing goes wrong, that is.
And Collins has lived through enough in this job to know he can’t make any promises beyond today.
“A lot will be determined by how he comes out of the next few days and how he comes out of the start,” Collins said.
Despite the strides Santana seems to be making, Niese figures to be an even more important part of the Mets’ future than Santana.
He gave up four runs in 2 1/3 innings to a Venezuelan team packed with All-Stars, including Miguel Cabrera, Pablo Sandoval and Carlos Gonzalez.
“They made me work,” Niese said. “I probably won’t see a lineup like that again unless I make the All-Star Game.”
That would be fine with the Mets, who look at Niese as a potentially important part of a rotation that could include Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler down the road.
In the meantime, Niese is still trying to learn from his veteran teammate.
“He’s been there before,” Niese said. “We all see him working his butt off. That fearlessness and intimidation he has? That’s not something you get overnight. He’s fearless — and that’s something I’ve tried to pick up.”
If Opening Day happens to fall to him, that’s fine.
“I haven’t talked to Johan about it,” Niese said. “We all want it. Who wouldn’t? But you can’t go out there with that on your mind.”
dan.martin@nypost.com