Johan Santana's comeback attempt has hit a snag after the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner experienced shoulder soreness following a Venezuelan Winter League outing.
Santana, in his first action since tearing an Achilles tendon last June, suffered the injury after retiring six straight batters on 17 pitches over two scoreless innings for the Magallanes Navigators on Jan. 14.
According to a report by LVBP.com, Santana had an MRI which revealed no structural damage to the shoulder.
Santana, who is 139-78 in 12 major league seasons, has made just 21 big league appearances in the last four seasons due to a pair of shoulder operations and the foot injury.
He tore his left Achilles tendon last June 6 while pitching in extended spring training with the Baltimore Orioles. Santana was struck by a line drive and stumbled while in pursuit of the ball.
Santana, who turns 36 in March, hopes to sign with a big league organization. He won the Cy Young Award for Minnesota in 2004 and 2006.
He has not pitched in the major leagues since 2012 with the New York Mets. Santana signed a $137.5 million, six-year contract with New York before the 2008 season and had surgery Sept. 14, 2010, to repair tears in the front and bottom of his left shoulder's anterior capsule.
He returned to the major leagues on April 5, 2012, and pitched the first no-hitter in Mets history that June 1 against St. Louis, throwing a career-high 134 pitches. He then went 3-7 with an 8.27 ERA and cut his season short because of lower back inflammation.
Santana experienced weakness in his pitching shoulder during the following spring training and had surgery on April 2, 2013, for a tear in the capsule in the front of his left shoulder.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.