Johan Santana Rehab Going Well, May Return To Mets By July

Read More: Johan Santana (P - NYM), New York Mets

Mets ace starter Johan Santana missed the end of the 2010 season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The expectation was that he'd be knocked out for the first few months of the 2011 regular season, but that he would be able to come back. Then, on Saturday, a troubling report came out - a source said that the Mets were prepared to shut down Santana's throwing program, that he wasn't progressing very well, and that internally the team felt it would be "lucky" if Santana returned in 2011 at all.

Well, on Sunday, Santana refuted that report. Said Johan:

"We’re on the right track and where we’re supposed to be," Santana said. "Whoever says I’m not ready is lying."

Santana played catch on Friday and Saturday, before preparing to rest on Sunday and Monday. It is a slow rehabilitation process, but he is moving along, and says that he's taken a step forward since reporting to camp. He doesn't know when he'll be able to return to a mound, but general manager Sandy Alderson projects him to participate in minor league games in May and come back to the Mets by July. And as of now, there's no reason to believe that Santana's off track.

So Mets fans can breathe easy. They don't yet have their ace, but they do still have him on the road to recovery.