MLB

Mets delay Santana’s encore to Subway Series opener

The Mets have opted to push Johan Santana’s next start to Friday, affording their ace two extra days of rest to recover from his 134-pitch no-hitter.

The original plan was for Santana to start again Thursday, but manager Terry Collins explained yesterday the main reason for the change is not to disrupt R.A. Dickey’s schedule. The veteran knuckleballer was a candidate to pitch tomorrow on three days’ rest as a way to provide Santana an additional day off. Instead, the Mets have chosen to start Jeremy Hefner tomorrow, meaning Dickey can pitch Thursday on his normal turn.

BOX SCORE

Santana now will open the Subway Series on Friday against the Yankees in The Bronx.

The bottom line is Santana now gets six days’ rest, and the lefty indicated that was part of the organizational rationale.

“We talked about what is best, and they feel it’s better to have an extra day. I’m fine with it,” Santana said yesterday as the Mets failed to finish a four-game sweep of the Cardinals with a 5-4 loss at Citi Field. “We haven’t forgotten that I’m coming back from surgery.”

Collins also said Sunday that Santana’s pitch count will be far lower than normal for his next turn. The 134 pitches he threw in the no-hitter were a career high, and Santana had only exceeded 99 pitches three times this year with a season high of 108.

As he did the day after his no-hit masterpiece, Santana said he still felt good yesterday.

“I’m fine,” he said. “[Sunday] I played catch. I’m fine.”

Because he now is scheduled to pitch Friday, Santana will throw his between-starts bullpen session today. The bullpen session should be telling because it’s a more grueling regimen than simply playing catch.

The adjustment means Santana will be back in the Subway Series for the first time since June 20, 2010.

He has faced the Yankees five times as a Met, going 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA, a number skewed by a three-inning, nine-run debacle in 2009. In Santana’s other four Subway Series starts, he never has gone fewer than six innings or allowed more than four runs.

It will be the second time this season Santana is operating on six days’ rest. The first one came after just a 55-pitch outing against the Braves on April 17. The Mets had an off day on April 19, and Santana did not pitch again until April 24 against the Marlins. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run and striking out 11.

mark.hale@nypost.com