"The Mets are trying to figure out Johan Santana's next step in his comeback, but the possibility of his pitching in the majors this season is slipping.

"Right now, we have no plans of seeing him here, except to get some work in," manager Terry Collins said yesterday.

Before anything else, they need to see how the lefty comes back from his three-inning outing for Class-A Savannah on Friday, when he allowed an unearned run and two hits.

"I hope to hear [today] that his recovery is fine and his long-toss is good," Collins said. "And then we'll get ready for whatever is next.""