PORT ST. LUCIE — Dan Warthen was on his way to watch Johan Santana throw in person for the first time this spring, but the Mets’ pitching coach already has liked what he has seen.
“I’ve been looking at video from when he’s been down here recently and comparing it to video from 2008, before he got hurt,” Warthen told The Post outside the team’s spring training complex yesterday. “It’s no different. Not even one percent. That’s extremely important.”
Manager Terry Collins has pointed to the smooth delivery and the comfort-level Santana has shown at the team’s complex as positive signs as the left-hander works his way back from Sept. 14, 2010 surgery to repair a capsule tear in his pitching shoulder.
Warthen agreed with Collins.
“It’s just a matter of maintaining that,” Warthen said. “We’ve got to monitor him very closely, just like we have throughout his recovery. We have to make sure his delivery and arm are there.”
Santana had another light throwing session yesterday and plans to throw off a mound for the first time tomorrow. He has yet to fully air out his arm and his bullpen session tomorrow is expected to be at about 75-80 percent.
Warthen also said he knows no amount of long-tossing or video study or even 80 percent bullpen sessions will tell the Mets or Santana what to expect going forward.
“You’ve got to show me,” Warthen said.
Though Santana has said all of the right things about being patient and not rushing back during spring training or the regular season, Warthen said he believes it still will be a challenge.
“I think he is more anxious than anyone,” Warthen said. “We’ll probably have to pull the reins in on him again because he’ll want to do too much.
The Mets would like to avoid the same setbacks and delays that hindered Santana’s comeback and kept him out of the majors all of last season. Chien-Ming Wang and Mark Prior underwent the same procedure and also had long, arduous paths back to the mound and neither has been able to regain the form he had previously.
The Mets, with virtually no rotation depth, are in desperate need of Santana at least approaching what he used to be, and Warthen has seen what a difference a healthy Santana can make to a team.
“If he’s even 90 percent of what he’s supposed to be, we have a legitimate chance,” Warthen said. “But he has to go out and throw, no matter what we do for him.”