It was as simple as that for Johan Santana to be the starter for the Mets on Opening Day. The left-hander, after his bullpen session, was announced the starter on Thursday.
"You've got your pitcher for Thursday," said manager Terry Collins.
Santana hasn't thrown in an actual game since September 2010 as he had to undergo surgery on his right shoulder. He had to miss the whole season. Santana will be going against Atlanta Braves' right-hander, Tommy Hanson.
"It means everything that we have done since I had my surgery, all the way to today, has been paid off," Santana said. "We worked hard. And I'm very happy. I'm very happy that I have an opportunity to start the season from Day 1 with the team. That's something that I really was looking forward to. I'm excited about it."
After Santana in the rotation are R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese, Mike Pelfrey, and Dillon Gee.
It will be the seventh time for Santana that he started on Opening Day, including his fifth with the Mets.
"I didn't want to get ahead of everything," Santana said. "I think we were taking one step at a time, being cautious about everything. I'm really excited again. It's going to be something very important for me."
Congrats, man! You deserve it!
