Johan Santana faces extended absence

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Johan Santana's spring training saga appears headed for its inevitable conclusion. The Mets lefthander told reporters on Saturday morning that his left shoulder is still ailing and that he has no timeline for a return, the latest indication that he could be facing an extended absence.

Manager Terry Collins acknowledged on Friday night that Santana will not join the Mets in New York to begin the season. All that remains is for the team to officially place the 34-year-old lefty on the disabled list -- a virtual certainty now.

"I’m making progress," Santana told reporters. "It’s just I don’t know when I’m going to be pitching again. That’s the thing: We cannot think ahead. The way we’re approaching everything is every day make sure we have a good day.”

Even assuming that Santana has no setbacks, he may need a few weeks just to get back on a pitcher's mound. Santana has spent most of the month long-tossing to rebuild strength in his surgically repaired left shoulder, however he told reporters that he's only throwing at 90 feet. Typically, Santana would need to be throwing at double that distance to even consider taking the next step by throwing off a mound

"He's not where he needs to be in his long-toss program," Collins said on Friday.

Santana rankled team officials by arriving at camp well behind schedule, the product of his decision to limit his offseason work to allow his body to bounce back after spending much of the previous two years rehabbing from major shoulder surgery. He has yet to pitch in a Grapefruit League game, another factor that will eventually extend his absence.

The red flags began popping up in the earliest days of spring:

Santana is in the final seasons of a six-year, $137-million contract. The former Cy Young Award winner still guaranteed $31 million, which includes a $5.5 million buyout for the 2014 season.