Johan Santana threw for scouts from seven MLB teams at a high school in Fort Myers on Tuesday, according to the New York Post's George A. King.
Johan Santana clocked at 81 mph in workout
The former Mets and Twins left-hander barely topped 81 mph in a workout on Tuesday that included a scout from the Yankees.
Sarah Glenn
Santana reportedly topped out at 81 mph, but the left-hander's fastball was more often clocked between 77 and 78 mph, with the former Mets starter also mixing in a changeup. The Yankees were one of the teams to send a scout to the workout, although their interest isn't considered serious at this point despite a potential need for starting pitching depth.
The 34-year-old Santana is trying to come back from surgery last April to repair a torn capsule in his left shoulder. He underwent a similar surgery in 2010 and didn’t return to the majors until the 2012 season.
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The left-hander missed all of 2013 following the surgery, and the Mets, who signed Santana to a six-year, $137.5 million deal prior to the 2008 campaign, decided against picking up his $25 million option for this season. They chose instead to pay him a $5.5 million buyout, making him eligible for free agency.
Santana posted a 4.85 ERA back in 2012, striking out 144 batters in 199 innings pitched. He memorably threw the first and only no-hitter in Mets history that season in a June start against the Cardinals at Citi Field. Santana won two American League Cy Young awards as a member of the Twins in 2004 and 2006 and has made four All-Star teams throughout his career.
After experiencing shoulder discomfort back in January, Santana pushed back his original rehab timetable and is now targeting a return on May 1 or June 1. He still has time to add some velocity and strength to his shoulder before hoping to appear in the major leagues. Back in 2012, Santana averaged 88 mph on his fastball, according to BrooksBaseball.net, which uses data from Pitchf/x to track the speed of every big league pitch.
Santana finished his Mets career with a 3.18 ERA and missed two full seasons due to injury.
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