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In comeback attempt, Johan retires six straight

Deciding to begin his latest comeback in the Venezuelan Winter League, left-hander Johan Santana had a perfect outing for Magallanes on Tuesday, retiring all six batters he faced.

An even better sign, Santana's fastball was clocked at around 90 mph and his signature changeup kept hitters off-balance.

Even with Santana's injury history and diminished velocity, plenty of Major League teams have reportedly shown interest in the 35-year-old, including the Yankees, who were in attendance for his first outing.

Santana was on the verge of joining the Baltimore Orioles' roster last summer when he tore his left Achilles tendon during a start at extended spring camp.

Video: STL@NYM: Santana fans Freese to complete no-hitter

It marked just one of the many injuries Santana has faced over the past few years. He's also dealt with chronic shoulder issues, having shoulder capsule surgery in 2010 and '13.

Limited to just 21 Major League appearances since 2010, the two-time Cy Young Award winner and four-time All-Star was one of the most dominant starters during an eight-year stretch from 2003-10 with the Twins and Mets.

"Johan wants to go out on his own terms," Santana's agent Peter Greenberg told ESPN.com. "He doesn't want to go out because an injury put him out. He's worked very hard and kept himself in shape, and he's never thought about retiring.

"It's not about the money or anything like that. He's said he wants to draw his own ending. He wants to go out on his own terms. He's told me, 'I want to add to my legacy.' I think anybody who knows him is going to bet on him."

Quinn Roberts is a reporter for MLB.com.
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