"Mets starter Johan Santana told club officials he did not feel comfortable making his scheduled rehab start Thursday with Class-A Savannah, and will instead throw a simulated game on Sunday near his home in Fort Myers, Fla.

The decision was made after Santana long-tossed this afternoon. He felt he needed to long-toss to strengthen his surgically repaired left shoulder, but that process also places stress on the joint. In this rehab, rest is key, and Santana did not want to overexert himself in the minor-league playoff environment.

"The one thing we didn't need was to have that step backwards," manager Terry Collins said. "We want to keep moving forward." "