Santana's first mound session goes well
Mets pitcher Johan Santana warms up before throwing a bullpen session in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2012) Credit: AP
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Just as Johan Santana began playing catch Friday in leftfield at Digital Domain Park, the Goodyear blimp entered the Mets' airspace, which only added to the spectacle.
Santana attracts plenty of attention at the spring training complex, and Friday it followed him to a bullpen mound, where the Mets' prodigal ace threw 25 pitches without interruption or incident.
Terry Collins, who scrutinized every throw, was convinced that Santana looked like a pitcher ready to begin spring training. Strong, healthy and happy -- a combination that hadn't been the case dating to his shoulder surgery 17 months ago.
"You saw the smile on his face," Collins said. "It's a huge step for us, it's a big day for him and now let's just gradually move forward."
That's all anyone can do at this point. In the coming weeks, there will be constant speculation about Santana's readiness for Opening Day. But that won't be decided until much later. For now, he will be penciled in as one of five starters, staying on schedule and hoping his shoulder responds favorably to the workload. He is expected to take the mound again Tuesday.
"When you're in a game, you throw at least 100 pitches," Santana said. "I threw 25, and that's something that I have to build up -- the innings and also the pitches. We'll see how it feels [Saturday]. That's definitely an important day, and we'll see how I recover from it."
The excitement felt real on Friday. With Josh Thole catching, Santana spun a few sliders and also gave Thole a heads-up for a few "cambios," or changeups. This session seemed more advanced than Santana's bullpen session before a July game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, a test that cleared him to begin his rehab starts.
"His mechanics are outstanding," Collins said, "and that starts with the fact that his arm is healthy."
Given his medical history, the Mets will remain cautious with Santana, just as they carefully handled Carlos Beltran's knee issues last year at this time. Beltran's day-to-day routine depended on that morning's conversation with Collins, and that is how the plan for Santana will unfold.
"He and I have already talked about it, about how he's got to be honest," Collins said. "Obviously he's off for the weekend, so let's see how he is Monday, he'll throw Tuesday again and then we'll go from there.''
On the medical side, Santana said he's been given the "green light" from the doctors, so he's no longer concerned about any potential hiccups in his recovery. The focus is on making effective pitches, and the foundation appears to be in place for that.
"When I was hurt, I wasn't able to finish, my mechanics were totally different," Santana said. "Now I'm getting back to what I used to be and that's what I'm looking for -- being able to get my delivery with no problems and let the ball do everything.''
No Kazmir reunion. Scott Kazmir pitched for scouts Friday in Houston, but given that his fastball reached only the upper 80s, it's no surprise that the Mets "have no interest at this time," according to a team official. Kazmir, the Mets' first-round pick in 2002, went 11-17 with a 5.31 ERA the past three seasons with the Angels before being released last year.
