Mets left-hander Johan Santana, fully healed from shoulder surgery last September, was strong in his first rehab start on Thursday. He threw three scoreless innings at the Daytona Cubs in high Class A St. Lucie's 3-1 win. "I felt good," Santana said. "It's my first time actually in a real game where I had to get a hitter out. I felt all my pitches were there and that I was able to throw them without any problem. I was excited to go and have the opportunity to get the first one out of the way. It's been a long process, but a good one."

Mets left-hander Johan Santana threw a 45-pitch bullpen session at Sun Life Stadium before Sunday's game against the Marlins. Afterward, he declared himself ready to pitch in a minor league rehab game if he awakes on Monday feeling similarly good. However, New York general manager Sandy Alderson indicated late Sunday that Santana is more likely to repeat a simulated game before advancing to a minor league outing. "I think we actually started spring training a week ago, a week and a half ago, when we moved the bullpens closer together," said Mets rehab coordinator Randy Niemann. "We started batting practice. That's what you would do in spring training. He's gotten to the point where, if he recovers, and he's feeling good, we can start getting into games, like you would in spring training." Santana underwent Sept. 14 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez could return to the team as soon as the second week in August, according to general manager Brian Cashman. Cashman said Sunday night that Rodriguez is "doing very well" in his rehabilitation from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. "He's in a pool. He's on a bike. (He's) still got a little bit of a limp, which is normal. But I'd be looking at him (returning) maybe the second week of August, you know, at the earliest for me," Cashman said. "That's just us being conservative. I think we can push it and get him back sooner but, why? Our offense is strong." Rodriguez has been out since July 7 with what originally was a lingering knee injury and later was revealed to be a meniscus tear.

Yankees reliever Rafael Soriano is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday against Syracuse. Soriano is recovering from an inflamed elbow. He is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 appearances this season after recording 45 saves a year ago as Tampa Bay's closer. The Yankees have been using All-Star Dave Robertson as their eighth inning man with Soriano out.

Mets left-hander Johan Santana confirmed that he is ready to advance to a minor league rehab game. Santana, working his way back from Sept. 14 surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder, threw a three-inning simulated game Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The Mets are eyeing Wednesday for Santana's first minor league game, which would start a maximum 30-day clock for him to return to the majors. "After tomorrow, I hope that if everything goes right, I'll get an opportunity to maybe get in a minor league game or something like that," Santana said. "It's not for sure. But if everything is fine and they evaluate that it's fine, then that's what we're going to do."

Orioles left fielder Luke Scott will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury that severely limited his effectiveness at the plate. Scott has a torn labrum in his right arm. He was removed from the 15-day disabled list Friday, but didn't get through an entire game against the Angels before realizing he could not hit as he did before the injury. Scott hit .284 with 27 homers and 72 RBIs last year. He told reporters Saturday "I battled through it the best I could, but I'm not helping the team."

Brandon Webb, who has not pitched in a major league game since April 6, 2009, isn't ready to give up on his career. The right-hander has decided to undergo his second major shoulder surgery in two years on Aug. 1. He will begin rehabilitation work on about Dec. 1. His agent, Jonathan Maurer, said Webb intends to pitch next season. Webb will be a free agent after the season.

Giants catcher Buster Posey has cleared another hurdle in his long road to recovery, getting the screws removed from his surgically repaired left ankle. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy says Posey is still weeks away from being able to put weight on the leg. The catcher tore three ligaments in his ankle and fractured a bone in his lower left leg in a home-plate collision with Florida's Scott Cousins on May 25.

Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre left Friday night's game against the Blue Jays with a strained left hamstring. "I just hope it's not as bad as it felt," Beltre said. "I don't know. We'll take an MRI [Saturday] and find out exactly what it is. "It felt like a really hard grab. It felt like it was going to tear my leg, but it didn't get to that point." Beltre said he's dealt with hamstring soreness part of the season, but has played through it. He has not had a hamstring-related stint on the disabled list in his career.

Mets left-hander Johan Santana is cautioning that he isn't a lock to pitch for the team this season. However, Santana is on schedule in his rehabilitation from left shoulder surgery. He told The New York Post on Thursday that any projections he would return this year at the All-Star break, or even in August, were best-case scenarios. "I was told by Dr. [David] Altchek this was going to take up to a year, so it's going to take me to Sept. 14," Santana said. "If I come back sooner, that would be great. If not, we'll be fine. [Altchek] said there might be a possibility to come back within 10 months, but that was just a possibility. That was not a fact." The Mets denied a report last night that Santana's season debut could come on Aug. 21 at Citi Field. A club spokesman called the situation "fluid" and said no schedule has been set.