PORT ST. LUCIE – Opening Day will be missing an ace for the Mets.
In a move that continued the week-long intrigue about their star left-hander, Johan Santana was all but ruled out yesterday from his scheduled Opening Day start April 6 in Cincinnati.
While halfheartedly saying he would not guarantee Santana sitting out the opener, pitching coach Dan Warthen revealed that Santana is now expected to make his regular-season debut April 11 in Miami against the Marlins.
The delay is a result of the tightness in Santana’s left triceps that developed last week and caused the Mets to shelve him until he threw a 31-pitch bullpen session Sunday without pain.
If Santana doesn’t go Opening Day, Mike Pelfrey or Oliver Perez would likely get the start against the Reds.
“We’ve got a 162-game schedule, and we want him to make 40 starts this year – and that includes the playoffs,” Warthen said, in explaining the Mets’ lack of urgency for Santana to start Opening Day.
Santana, who is also coming off October surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, had exited the Mets’ clubhouse yesterday before Warthen spoke to reporters. But a source close to the star said Santana feels much better after his weekend elbow scare.
“Johan confirmed that he feels fine,” the source said. “He feels like it was normal spring soreness, just like he said initially.”
Warthen yesterday also outlined the Mets’ plan for Santana for the rest of spring training, with the next step being a bullpen session this morning that should be a bit longer than Sunday’s 31 pitches.
After that, Santana will throw side sessions Saturday and Tuesday, March 10, then pitch batting practice March 13 and another side session March 15 before making his Grapefruit League debut March 18 in Port St. Lucie against the Braves.
Based on that schedule, Opening Day is highly unlikely for Santana because there isn’t enough time before the Cincinnati series to get him the combination of four spring warm-up starts and necessary rest.
It’s important to note Warthen and the Mets now have Santana throwing every third day before his first spring start, as opposed to the every-other-day routine that prompted both the elbow injury and public grumbling by Santana.
“I’m not a reliever, I’m a starter,” Santana said Saturday while complaining about Warthen’s heavy workload for pitchers early in camp.
Jerry Manuel continued to strongly downplay any concern yesterday about the health of the Mets’ $137.5 million centerpiece, with the manager saying he had no plans to personally monitor Santana’s bullpen session today before the Mets head to Viera, Fla., for an exhibition with the Nationals.
In an attempt to emphasize his confidence, Manuel made a point Sunday to be elsewhere in the Mets’ Tradition Field complex when Santana was throwing his highly anticipated bullpen, leaving Warthen to supervise instead.
“I haven’t even discussed Johan, to be honest,” Manuel said after yesterday’s 15-4 Grapefruit League loss here to the Cardinals. “I’m not really concerned with Johan at this point. I’m just glad to see him every day. I’m fine with that.”
The last time Santana did not start Opening Day was 2005, when he was a member of the Twins. Brad Radke started that day for Minnesota, with Santana facing the Mariners the following day.
Santana had a memorable first Opening Day with the Mets last year, striking out eight and giving up just three hits in seven innings of a 7-2 win over the Marlins in Miami.
bhubbuch@nypost.com