Johan stops by Citi Field to visit Mets teammates

NEW YORK -- Though his Mets career is almost certainly finished, Johan Santana stopped by Citi Field on Friday to visit with teammates. Santana, who underwent surgery in March to repair a re-torn left anterior shoulder capsule, had been spending most of his time recovering at home in Fort Myers, Fla. But he will soon begin spending more time around the team, once he starts rehabbing at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

"He feels better than where he was at this point with his first surgery, which is a great sign," manager Terry Collins said. "He has a great attitude. He can't wait to continue and hopefully come back and pitch again."

Because the Mets will buy out the 2014 option year on Santana's contract, the left-hander's time in Flushing has all but officially come to an end. Still, Santana hopes to pitch again in the Major Leagues, provided he can make another full comeback from a surgery that he first underwent in September 2010.

Rehabbing for the entire 2011 season, Santana returned last year and pitched the first no-hitter in franchise history, before ending the year back on the disabled list. He reported to camp behind schedule in his throwing program, discovering his latest injury toward the end of Spring Training.

The left-hander's rehab should take him through the winter, putting him on track to return to the Majors potentially sometime next season. But there are no guarantees, considering the nature of his injury and the fact that he will turn 35 in March.

"He feels great about it," Collins said. "He told me the first surgery he had, at this particular stage, he couldn't even get his arm over his head. And now he can do that and do some other things. So he's very, very happy where he's at."