MLB

Mets’ Maine ‘not into’ role — and it shows

JUPITER, Fla. — The question marks keep growing larger for everybody in the Mets rotation not named Johan Santana.

John Maine, admitting he was not “that into it” because he was coming on in relief yesterday instead of starting, was hammered for five runs in two-thirds of an inning in a 5-1 loss to the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium.

After Santana pitched four scoreless innings, Maine got the first two outs of the fifth and then fell apart, surrendering three walks and three doubles, the final double a laser to left by Hanley Ramirez.

“My mechanics felt fine,” Maine said. “I just wasn’t kind of that into it. It wasn’t good. It’s just I wasn’t all that prepared.”

Yes, the mound is still 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate if you start or relieve, but pitchers become so used to their routines that they can be thrown off by anything. Maine is used to starting, not coming on in relief. Having said that, he was able to get the first two outs of the inning no problem.

Maybe it’s all about the bio-rhythms.

The Mets could have avoided this and started Maine in the morning “B” game, a 7-1 loss to the Marlins, but that honor went to reliever Pedro Feliciano.

He struggled too. The Mets wanted Maine to have the adrenaline of pitching in front of a crowd and not just be throwing on a back field with 12 scouts around the backstop.

“The feeling that it’s not my game is the hardest thing,” Maine said. “It’s a waste of a day.”

Maine, who is coming off shoulder issues, said the best thing was that he had no pain, and that he’s anxious to get back out there again Saturday in a regular starting role.

As a result of Friday’s rainout in Fort Myers, Oliver Perez grabbed Maine’s starting slot Saturday. Maine usually beats himself up pretty good after a bad performance, so in a way this may be progress.

That’s how pitching coach Dan Warthen, who could use a Master’s in psychology to deal with his pitchers, looked at it, saying of Maine, “He’s maturing.”

“I am a creature of habit,” Maine said. “I have a certain routine. I was out of sync, off my routine. I just wasn’t prepared. I didn’t get the job done. It’s the whole aspect of throwing before the game, sitting down and doing this.”

Maine threw 37 pitches, only 18 for strikes, and three of those strikes became extra-base hits. He is going to have to step it up in his next outing.

“It was just one of those games,” Maine said. “At least I got my pitches in.”

Manager Jerry Manuel said he feels “pretty good” about the rotation.

“The key for us is [Mike] Pelfrey, Perez and Maine.”

“Everyone wants to go out there and throw up zeroes,” Maine said, “but the point for me is to get back there and be feeling good. I feel fine, and that’s the biggest thing, just building arm strength.”

There is a reason spring training is six weeks.

“My delivery felt fine today,” said Maine, who struggled with his delivery last spring.

“My main concern is what I do between starts for my shoulder and going out there and feeling good right now. This is only my second outing of the spring. I got more.”

On Saturday, when Maine takes the mound against the Cardinals, he had better be a lot more “into it” than he was yesterday.

kevin.kernan@nypost.com