Johan Santana will not start Thursday. The Mets haven't decided whether the left-hander is going to be shut down for the remainder of the 2012 season, but he'll get at least one week off. Santana has registered a hideous 8.27 ERA since throwing a no-hitter against the Cardinals on June 1. He was given an MRI on his ailing back Tuesday afternoon.

Johan Santana will undergo an MRI on his back Tuesday. Santana is currently penciled in to start Thursday against the Rockies, but there's a chance he could be scratched (or shut down completely) depending upon the results of the MRI. The veteran southpaw has allowed at least six runs in five straight starts and now holds a 4.85 ERA on the year.

Mets manager Terry Collins confirmed that Johan Santana will pitch Thursday against the Rockies, but that he will be limited to less than 100 pitches. Santana was knocked around for six runs over five innings Friday night against the Nationals, which resulted in a conversation about whether he should shut things down for the season. He'll remain in the rotation for now, but Collins indicated that he will be re-evaluated on a start-to-start basis. Fantasy owners would do well to look elsewhere.

Johan Santana is still scheduled to start Thursday. The Mets are considering shutting the left-hander down for the rest of the season, but he threw his normal between-starts bullpen session on Monday and is gearing up to the take the mound Thursday afternoon against the Rockies. Santana has a brutal 8.27 ERA since his no-hitter in early June.

The Mets will decide Monday what to do with the struggling Johan Santana, and shutting him down for the season is among the options they'll consider. The Mets are already going with a six-man rotation, and a big reason they're doing so is to give Santana extra rest. But, they might ultimately decide that they're better off shutting the left-hander down altogether. Santana has put up an 8.27 ERA since his no-hitter and has allowed at least six runs in each of his last five starts. "(General manager) Sandy (Alderson) and I will discuss the options," manager Terry Collins said. "Look at the pros and the cons of what it's all about. There's some things we have to concern ourselves with to make sure next year he's healthy."

Johan Santana was pounded for the fifth consecutive start, allowing six runs on seven hits over five innings in Friday's loss to the Nationals. Santana struck out four and didn't issue a walk in the game. He retired the first nine hitters in order, before everything fell apart in the fourth inning. After the first three hitters reached with singles, Mike Morse unloaded the bases with a monstrous grand slam. Bryce Harper then added a two-run bomb in the fifth to complete the damage. Santana earns the unfortunate distinction of being the first pitcher in Mets history to allow six or more earned runs in five consecutive starts. He clearly doesn't look right at this point, and the Mets may decide to sit him down for awhile before making his next scheduled start. As of now, he's lined up to take on these same Nationals in Washington on Saturday, and should be avoided in all formats.

Mets manager Terry Collins is considering using a six-man rotation in order to give Johan Santana and Chris Young extra rest down the stretch. Collins has also scrapped the idea of using R.A. Dickey on short rest. "We're trying to figure out if that's going to help those guys out," Collins said of Santana and Young. "When are we going to do it? I don't know." The plan isn't set in stone, as the Mets are worried about throwing off the rhythms of Dickey and Jon Niese. If they do go to a six-man rotation, Jeremy Hefner will be added to the mix.

Mets manager Terry Collins expects Johan Santana to start on Friday against the Nationals. Collins believes Santana's struggles on Saturday were due to rust and not a re-aggravation of an ankle ailment. Santana was pounded by the Braves in his return to the Mets' rotation, surrendering eight runs on eight hits in just 1 1/3 innings. Santana is 3-6 with a 7.98 ERA over 44 innings (nine starts) since hurling his no-hitter on June 1. Mixed leaguers should bench Santana until he proves he can turn his season around.

Johan Santana was pounded by the Braves in his return to the Mets' rotation on Saturday, surrendering eight runs on eight hits in just 1 1/3 innings. Freddie Freeman delivered a two-out, two-run double to get the Braves on the board in the first inning. Atlanta then added seven more in the second to chase Santana from the game, highlighted by a three-run blast by Freeman after Santana had been removed. The Mets may think twice before throwing him against the Nationals in Washington on Friday, as he clearly didn't look at full strength in this one.

Mets activated LHP Johan Santana from the 15-day disabled list. Santana will jump back into the Mets rotation on Saturday against the Braves, with a strict limit of 90 pitches. He returns to a 3.98 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 105/38 K/BB ratio.