Johan Santana excited for spring training
File photo of Mets pitcher Johan Santana. Credit: AP
Mets ace Johan Santana is cautiously optimistic about being ready for spring training when pitchers and catchers report Feb. 20. Santana has not pitched in a regular-season game since undergoing surgery to repair a tear in the anterior capsule of his left shoulder on Sept. 14, 2010.
"I'm very excited to be back. We have a program that we have to follow and the key here is to start spring training without any problems," he said on a conference call Thursday from Port St. Lucie, Fla. "But we have to wait and see how we are. As we get into spring training, we'll have a better idea day in and day out on how I feel."
Santana said he has been throwing long toss for about three weeks. He threw from 90 feet Thursday and expects to increase to 110 Friday.
"Since I had my surgery and talked to Dr. [David] Altchek, I was told that everything was successful and that I had to be patient and that it would take a long time to get back on the field, and that's what I've been doing," Santana said. "I've been doing everything the way they have been telling me, going every day and seeing how I feel and how I recover."
Santana, who turns 33 on March 13, is in the fifth year of a six-year deal worth $137.5 million. He is to earn $24 million in 2012.
"It's been a long process for me," Santana said of his recovery. "At the same time, I'm trying to prepare real well to make sure at spring training I will do everything that I have to make the team. But time will tell. But as for right now, I'm going to follow everything the way they want me to do and then we'll see how it feels.''
Santana is specifically aiming for Feb. 22, when bullpen sessions begin. "That's what I'm looking forward to," he said. "That's what we are here right now to prepare for. Again, I don't want to set any time frame or anything because I don't really know until we get there, but as of right now, I think this is the first time I started throwing so early in the year to get ready for spring training."
Santana would not speculate about his availability to be the Opening Day starter, saying, "I don't want to take any guess right now . . . I don't know how I'm going to feel in two months."
Santana was asked on the conference call about free agent Jose Reyes leaving for the Marlins. "It's kind of tough to see him go," he said. "He's a great player and great friend and it's tough to see him go. But at the same time, he's looking at the best for him and his family and he had a great opportunity over there.
"Now we're going to compete against him. We have to [raise] our games to be sure we beat him now."
