Mets may have to take a rain check on Santana start

ATLANTA -- With a 60-percent chance of rain Tuesday, the Mets already are thinking of contingency plans if nasty weather messes with Johan Santana's start against the Braves.

Terry Collins has made it a point to be careful with Santana, who is 19 months removed from shoulder surgery.

This much Collins knows: If the game is played, Santana will make the start, regardless of how the weather might interfere with his night. The biggest effect, however, will be if the game is halted at some point.

Usually, a pitcher will return to the mound if the delay is an hour or less, depending on his workload to that point. But in Santana's case, he's likely done if play is stopped, even though Collins said he would give him a 30-minute window.

Most delays last longer than that, and Collins does not want to interrupt Santana's routine. "What I want to do is hopefully get some innings out of him," he said. "So when they give me the proverbial window, that they're going to start this thing, we'll get it started, and hopefully the rain holds off to get him some decent amount of work in."