Johan to Miss Opening Day

David Lennon at Newsday is reporting that Johan Santana will miss Opening Day and will have his first start of the season pushed back to the fifth game of the season.

Santana has had tightness in his elbow and was supposed to go to New York to have a MRI. Because of the snowstorm that hit the northeast, Santana remained in Port St. Lucie and then told reporters he felt fine.

This whole situation really scares me. Santana is the first marquee player the Mets have had in recent years that has lived up to the hype. Sure, it's no big deal that Santana will pitch the fifth game instead of the first game, but the fact that his elbow is shaky should be major cause for concern for the Mets and their fans.

Hopefully, this is just a blip on the radar for Johan and he'll be ready to go once the season starts. He was the Mets MVP last season and is still the most valuable pitcher on the staff because of his toughness and ability to dominate in big games.