PORT ST. LUCIE — Whatever bitter feelings Johan Santana might have harbored toward the Mets front office seem to have dissipated.
The veteran lefty broke more than a week of silence yesterday, saying he is "on the same page" with general manager Sandy Alderson, who previously expressed disappointment Santana didn't arrive at spring training ready to pitch.
"We are in this together," Santana said. "We want to do this together from top to bottom."
Santana said he recently met with Alderson, but declined to say what was discussed. But the lefty reiterated the Mets knew his offseason plan was to rest all winter and wait until he arrived at spring training to begin throwing.
Anthony J. Causi
WAITING GAME: Johan Santana said he and Sandy Alderson talked recently, but the pitcher still doesn't have a timetable for his return.
Alderson offered few specifics about his discussion with Santana, which he said occurred 3-4 days ago.
"I spoke to him just to make sure we were on the same page," Alderson said. "That he understood from our standpoint he'd be ready when he's ready and there really wouldn't be any further comment on it in terms of a precise date that he would be ready to pitch. If that was clearing the air, that was clearing, I guess."
Was a clearing of the air needed?
"Not from my standpoint, but perhaps from his," Alderson said. "Whatever purpose it served, we had a conversation."
Santana, who is attempting to build up strength in his left shoulder, didn't throw yesterday and is off today. He is expected to be absent from the Opening Day roster; manager Terry Collins indicated Santana is not close to throwing from a mound. Jeremy Hefner will likely take the rotation spot, with Jon Niese getting Santana's assignment to start the opener on April 1 against the Padres at Citi Field.
Santana, who is 2 1/2 years removed from surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his left shoulder, was shut down last August.
"Coming back from not throwing or facing hitters and competing since August is not easy to do," Santana said. "I didn't know what to expect. You've got to go out there and do it and see how it feels and that is what we were doing."
Perhaps as a show of solidarity, team COO Jeff Wilpon joked with Santana and wished him happy birthday — he turned 34 yesterday — as the lefty chatted with reporters. Santana said he kept silent for more than a week because he didn't want to engage in a war of words with Alderson through the media.
"When I started working out, everything was fine," said Santana, who backed off his throwing last month because of inadequate arm speed. "I've been conditioning the whole time, but I wasn't pitching, I wasn't facing hitters, so that is a totally different thing, when you don't face hitters and stuff. And that was something we were going to experience here in spring training and once I started throwing my bullpens and put more intensity, I just felt that it wasn't there.
"Instead of pushing it, we just wanted to take extra time just to make sure we build it up, so when it's time to do it again we feel better and not just start pushing."
Collins said any differences between Santana and Alderson were none of his business.
"It has nothing to do with me," Collins said. "[Santana] has never had to explain anything to me. I'm glad they [talked]. I know they had a conversation, but I didn't know anything about it. Don't ask, don't care. We gotta get him ready to pitch."
mpuma@nypost.com
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