Mets ace Johan Santana will return to New York to have an MRI on his elbow on Monday, an off-day for the team during spring training.
"This is more precautionary than anything else," general manager Omar Minaya said before the left-hander threw a light bullpen session on Sunday morning. "He will be looked at by our doctors. With the off-day, it just makes sense to go up there and look at it."
Santana, who has battled tightness in his elbow, long-tossed with new closer Francisco Rodriguez before heading to the bullpen for a 15-minute session with catcher Omir Santos. The 29-year-old threw 31 pitches hours before the club's game with the Houston Astros.
"I feel fine," Santana said afterward. "This is the first time in the last four days that I've thrown, but I feel fine and don't think there should be any problems.
"I just tried to throw some fastballs and changeups to see how my arm feels. Everything was fine. The more pitches I threw, the better I felt."
Doctors have told him an irritated triceps tendon is causing the discomfort in his throwing elbow.
"After watching today, I don't think he favored anything," said pitching coach Dan Warthen, who stood in the batter's box during part of the two-time Cy Young Award winner's session.
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"He had his normal delivery and long stride, probably working at 80-85 percent. I thought he was right where he should be."
Santana said coming in to training camp he had hoped to pitch for his native Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
"Somehow you have to find a way to get ready," he said, "but at the same time, I was throwing bullpens every other day. It was too much throwing too soon.
"Once (the Mets) said I wasn't going to participate in the WBC, we backed off a little bit. But there's been a lot of throwing the last couple of weeks. That was part of the plan we had."
Santana said he will take a few days off before pitching again, making him more unlikely for opening day on April 6 in Cincinnati.
"I think he tried to push too hard too soon," Warthen said. "I don't think the workload made any difference. It was the same for everyone else — throwing 30-35 pitches every other day and then two days off."
The Mets signed the 29-year-old Santana to a six-year, $137.5 million contract last February after a trade with Minnesota. At the time, the contract was a record for a pitcher.
