Johnson Slated To Pitch Friday At Kansas City
They found a chamber large enough to squeeze Randy Johnson into on Tuesday, and found precisely what they’d hoped to find - nothing.
The broad-shouldered, 6-foot-10 “Big Unit” was given a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test in North Seattle and what Mariners team physicians saw was nothing more than the previously diagnosed inflammation in his left shoulder.
And that has been calmed by rest and medication, so Johnson will throw on the Kingdome sidelines before the game tonight and - barring an unexpected setback - will probably pitch in Kansas City on Friday night.
That’s good news and bad for Johnson, who has never won a game in Kauffman Stadium despite a career 2.95 earned-run average there.
Ken Griffey Jr., meanwhile, moved another day closer to returning to the Seattle lineup, taking batting practice again.
“I was a little stiff after taking batting practice (Monday),” Griffey said, “but nothing bad. I feel pretty good.”
Junior will hit again today and Thursday, have his left wrist examined Friday and then … will probably start playing baseball, although the Mariners can’t say just where. It could be Tacoma. It could be Class AA Port City in North Carolina.
It could even be with the Mariners - though that is highly unlikely. The team wants Griffey to play somewhere in “live-game” conditions, even if it’s as a designated hitter, for at least a few games and then reevaluate.
No matter how much batting practice Griffey takes, he can’t replicate what a checked swing would feel like in a game, or how the wrist would respond to off-balance throws from the outfield.
Most players would take 10 days to two weeks - minimum - once they began playing again before returning to the major leagues. But, the Mariners point out, this is Griffey. If doctors OK it, he’ll come back the day he says he’s ready.
Notes
Steve Frey, the left-handed reliever who came to Seattle as part of the trade for Salomon Torres, declined the Mariners’ request to play in Tacoma and so was given his unconditional release Tuesday - along with the rest of what the team owes him. Frey’s ‘95 salary was $915,000, and though the Mariners share of that is pro-rated from the time they obtained him, May 21, they will wind up paying him more than they’ll pay Mike Blowers and Alex Rodriguez, combined. Not only that, once Frey clears waivers, he’s free to sign with any team - and could, therefore, end up facing Seattle at some point. Frey appeared in 13 games for the Mariners, and was 0-3 with a 4.76 earned-run average.