All E On Johnson During Bp

Dozens of cameras surrounded the field. Manager Lou Piniella stood behind the batting cage, watching intently. Minor-league pitching coordinator Ron Romanick was on the infield, counting pitches.

It wasn’t exactly a normal morning of batting practice for the Seattle Mariners.

The Big Unit was back on the mound Saturday, pitching to batters for the first time since back surgery last September.

“I think he threw the ball well,” Piniella said after Randy Johnson threw 27 pitches to four batters. “Good velocity. Good breaking ball.”

Johnson faced Lou Frazier, Kevin Reimer, Dave Silvestri and Brian Raabe on the Mariners’ practice field. In the cool of the desert morning, he threw three swinging strikes, eight pitches that were taken (mostly high), four that were fouled off and 12 that were hit, primarily to the opposite field.

Reimer struck the best blow, a drive that cleared the fence in right just inside the foul pole.

“He looked good,” Reimer said. “It looked like he was throwing easy, working on things. The ball had a little giddyup on it.”

Not that Reimer, last in the majors in 1993, has many memories of Johnson at his best.

Johnson, 33, won the A.L. Cy Young Award in 1995, going 18-2 and leading the A.L. in ERA (2.48) and strikeouts (294).

But a herniated disc in his lower back limited him to eight starts last season. He went on the disabled list May 13, and when he came back in August, he pitched in relief. After giving up a home run to Darren Bragg on Aug. 26 - the first home run he allowed to a left-handed hitter in four years - Johnson went back on the DL, and he had surgery Sept. 12.

Since then, he’s been rehabbing to get back to where he was.

“He’s never been in better shape, strength-wise or muscle endurance-wise,” Mariners trainer Rick Griffin said.

When healthy, Johnson is clearly the most dominating pitcher in baseball, his slim 6-foot-10 frame towering on the mound, ready to intimidate batters before he even throws a pitch.

On Saturday, he appeared to be throwing at about 75 percent.

“I’ve seen him throw a lot harder than that,” said Silvestri, who nonetheless didn’t get a fair ball out of the cage.

Johnson had thrown off a mound five times before Saturday, and probably will throw BP again on Tuesday, extending to 45 pitches. His first appearance in an exhibition game will follow next weekend, probably two innings.

“We’re not really forcing the issue to get him ready before he thinks he’s ready,” Piniella said.

Seattle isn’t sure if Johnson will be ready for opening day against the World Series champion Yankees on April 1. Based on Saturday, it’s hard to tell.

“I’m optimistic, but at the same time I’m not going to put any pressure on him,” Griffin said. “He’s going to know when he’s ready from the way he throws and the way he feels after he throws.”

Johnson’s rehab appears on track.

“His movement was good. He didn’t overthrow, and his back didn’t hurt,” Griffin said. “I think that’s a good day.”

Martinez throws BP

Dennis Martinez, who missed most of the second half of last season with a strained tendon in his right (pitching) elbow, also pitched BP for Seattle, throwing 30 pitches to the same four batters.

“I felt good,” said Martinez, a four-time All-Star who was 9-6 with a 4.50 ERA for Cleveland last season. “I’m not at 100 percent strength. I still had the command on the pitches.”

Martinez, 42, will likely make his first exhibition start next weekend.

Cruz hits two homers

Seattle’s offense broke loose in a 17-hit barrage that included a pair of home runs by Jose Cruz Jr., burying the San Diego Padres, 14-7.

Left-handed pitcher Jeff Fassero made his first outing and had this to say: “I want to pitch quick, but not fast, if that makes sense, and today I rushed a little bit. I had a couple hitters set up and didn’t finish the way I should have, and it cost me a couple of runs. Your first outing, you haven’t gone over hitters, you haven’t talked to your catcher about what you want to do, you’re not really mentally sharp out there. I was happy with my slider and forkball, and I’ll get stronger.”

Padres coach Merv Rettenmund on Fassero:

“You go back the last three, four years, no one has given this team more trouble than Fassero. Not Greg Maddux, not John Smoltz - nobody. I thought the day the Mariners got him, ‘That’s the best deal anyone will make this off-season.”’

Non-roster invitee Kevin Reimer, trying to earn any job available with the M’s, showed the kind of left-handed power that makes managers think about bench spots - he hit a pinch-hit home run.

Sanders may relieve

The Mariners are considering using Scott Sanders in the bullpen, depending upon what they see from Salomon Torres this spring. Why? Torres is out of options - he can’t be sent to the minor leagues again - and Sanders’ history has shown he can start or relieve. Relieving might mean fewer pitches thrown by a right elbow that Sanders has had problems with, and his “out” pitch, a slider, is tough on elbows.

Sanders gets the start today against the Padres at 12:05 p.m.

Henderson on display

The Padres started Rickey Henderson in left field Saturday largely for the scouts sitting behind home plate. “We’re showcasing him, no question,” one Padres executive said. “We’d like to do something soon because we have to get other guys in shape and we can’t keep playing Rickey if he’s not going to be our starting left fielder in the regular season.”

Among the teams rumored to have interest in Henderson and his $2 million contract are Oakland, Boston and Cleveland. The Mariners continue to insist they are not pursuing Henderson.