The Song Remains The Same On Santana, Despite Mets Denials

Update 3/14 10:00 AM

Steve Popper of the Bergen Record stands by what his Mets source told him regarding the opening of Johan Santana potentially being shutdown due to irritation and perhaps lost for the season. Regardless of what you think I can regard him for sticking to his report which may not be as far fetched as some would think.

He writes,

If you go backwards to the history from Sunday`s Record, I suppose you`ll see it played out fairly accurately - despite the screams of dissent from the Mets. What the report said is that a source claimed that Santana was feeling discomfort during his rehab work and that if that continued to the following workout the Mets were considering shutting him down. Santana did admit Sunday that he saw a rehab doc who reassured him that the concerns - soreness - were normal.

Does the soreness mean that Santana will be closed down? Not now. But do the denials mean that Santana will be backward in mid-June to early-July like the Mets want to keep? Just need a look at the recovery times for every other Mets injury and get a guess. Denial is the default setting for the organization - clearly above Sandy Alderson since the answer has been just the same with this government as the prior one - right down to the press that the counter will be like a large deal at midseason.

Original Post 3/13 4:00 PM

When it comes to injuries, especially to the shoulders of pitchers, always bet the over. That`s my opinion after Mets pitcher Johan Santana refuted a published report his season could be in jeopardy.

Santana turned 32 today, and naturally the Mets are interested about his recovery from or to fix a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. They`ve been worried since he walked off the mound last summer in pain, and it being his birthday simply makes it a consistent time to renovate the issue.

"We`re good on the proper track,`` Santana told reporters today. "Whoever is saying I`m not ready, I believe is lying. We are all on the same page here. _ How can you make a blow at this point, where I`m just start to make? I haven`t yet got on the mound. I haven`t even forced my trunk to try to have hard.``

We knew from the first the recovery would be painful with no real timetable. There are always setbacks and days when Santana might look better than others.

In gain to what Santana said, pitching coach Dan Warthen is putting a positive spin on things, but yet so we must remember Sandy Alderson`s plan for him to cast off the hill by May 1 and be set around the All-Star break is one of guarded optimism.

The clock won`t go until he gets off the mound, and yet then, nothing is for certain.

Realistically, the Mets don`t know about Santana this season. How can they with so much murky water they are wading through? This is a new injury for Santana and nobody knows how his body will respond. Traditionally, with other pitchers, this is a difficult injury from which to recover.

The Mets can`t make up on Santana for 2011 because they`d like to recognize what they can carry from him for next year. Even so, they won`t push him as to gamble a re-injury.

Santana might have been miffed his return this flavor is being questioned, but truth is we don`t know if he`ll always be Johan Santana again.

We simply don`t recognize how the remainder of his vocation will turn out, but the Mets must be fresh about this and design for the end and consider any issue as a bonus.