Johan Throws a Bullpen Session

Adam Rubin of the NYDN is reporting that Mets ace Johan Santana threw a 46-pitch bullpen session earlier this morning, and came out of it telling the media he'll be ready to go by Opening Day.

This news comes less than a day after Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen said the chances of Santana being ready at the beginning of the season were slim. The pitcher disagreed.

"As of right now, my mindset is for Opening Day. That's about it. I appreciate everything they're doing, and Dan is doing, trying to protect me and trying to keep me healthy, but I'm a professional. I know exactly what it takes for me to be ready. I've been doing this for years now, and I know exactly what I have to do. I'm pretty sure I'll be ready for Opening Day."

Frankly, this whole situation is getting confusing. First Santana needed to fly back to New York for an MRI. Then, he skipped the trip and told the media he was perfectly fine. Next, Warthen comes out and says the ace would probably miss the start of the season. And now, Santana is telling the media he will be ready to go, and that the process of recovering from his elbow soreness is going to plan.

It seems to me like the team wants to make sure Santana doesn't rush into anything, if he is still struggling with some discomfort. Santana, being the competitor that he is, believes he's working out the elbow issues and will be perfectly fine for Opening Day. The coaches are looking at the bigger picture here, and if they feel it's best for Santana to move at a slower pace for now, then that's exactly how it should go. I'd rather see him miss a start or two early, then a handful later on.