Johan Santana stepped on a mound for the first time since September on Friday at the Spring Training home of the Mets. New York manager Terry Collins labeled Santana's ensuing 25-pitch session to catcher Josh Thole a "huge first step for us." He did not appear in the majors last season after undergoing surgery Sept. 14, 2010 to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder. "I finally had a chance to get on the mound and throw to a catcher, to Thole, and I felt really good," Santana said. "The approach that we had from the beginning was to do everything like I always do to get ready for the season. For me, it's about time to get on the mound and start throwing. And I was able to throw all of my pitches and it felt good after that."