Mariners Have Timetable For Getting Back Ailing Stars
The Seattle Mariners don’t have any of their injured players back, but they finally have the next best thing - timetables for their return.
From the middle of July on, the M’s expect to get Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Chris Bosio, reliever Tim Davis and first baseman Ricky Jordan back in a two week span.
“That,” manager Lou Piniella reminded everyone, “is barring a setback.”
Biggest risk at the moment is Johnson, who is scheduled to throw off the mound in the Kingdome for the first time since May 10, testing his arm and, as importantly, the bulging disk in his lower back.
“What the doctors are telling us is that it’s time to try,” Piniella said. “We might as well find out how he’s going to respond to throwing hard again.”
Johnson is tentatively scheduled to throw four times next week, once after the All-Star break and, when he’s built up to throwing 10-12 minutes, begin a rehabilitation assignment that likely will see him pitch at least two games with the Tacoma Rainiers - a two-inning start and a four-inning start.
The best-case scenario? Johnson will start again for the Mariners during the four-game Kingdome Detroit series that begins July 25.
Griffey is more of a known quantity. On his current schedule, he’ll begin swinging a bat July 6 to test his right hand, take batting practice beginning July 12 and return to the lineup by July 20.
Bosio will begin a rehabilitation assignment - probably with Tacoma - after the All-Star Game next week, Davis will begin a rehab assignment with the Rainiers within the next 10 days and, by mid-July, the Mariners expect to get Jordan back, too.
Team doctors have warned, however, that expecting no problems from so many injured players trying to come back is unrealistic. “At least we’ve got plans now,” Piniella said.
Notes
In the span of 24 hours, the Mariners changed their mind on their starting pitcher for today’s second game of the Texas series. While Piniella had said Rafael Carmona would pitch, after talking with coaches he decided to go with a pitcher who has started more recently - Rusty Meacham. Carmona, who hadn’t pitched since a three-inning relief appearance June 23, was used in relief Friday and collected the win. Meacham pitched five innings five days ago and, while with Class AAA Omaha in the Royals organization, had started four games. … The 118 home runs the Mariners hit in their first 75 games was a major league record, surpassing the previous record (117) set by the 1964 Minnesota Twins.