Johan Santana’s taken the ball on Opening Day in each of his three seasons with the Mets, and they’ve won each of those games — happy starts to what would become some disappointing seasons. Obviously, Santana won’t start on Opening Day this year, thanks to September surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder, but when exactly will the Mets’ ace make his 2011 debut? Sandy Alderson explained today that Santana’s rehab is broken into three parts: recovery from the operation, a return to throwing, and a return to pitching. Phase 1, he explained, is complete, and Phase 2 is going on right now. He likely won’t step onto a mound at all until May 1, and, Alderson explained, it could take six to eight weeks from that point for him to return to game action. Said the GM: “So if you do the math, it gets you to the end of June, the middle part of July.” Mark your calendars, in as much as you can mark a three-week window on a calendar. [ESPN New York, MetsBlog]