M’s Soriano remains out indefinitely

Relief pitcher Rafael Soriano’s sprained right elbow was examined Monday by the Mariners’ team physician, and the diagnosis hadn’t changed: It still hurts.

That description may change after Soriano undergoes another magnetic resonance imaging exam this week.

“He still has some discomfort and we’re going to set up another MRI,” manager Bob Melvin said.

The Mariners had counted on Soriano being one of their two key right-handed setup men this season, along with Shigetoshi Hasegawa, after he went 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 53 innings of relief.

Soriano suffered a strained oblique muscle early in spring training and missed a month, then struggled with a sub-par fastball and spent time in the minor leagues to build his arm strength.

He went on the disabled list May 12 after experiencing soreness in the elbow, diagnosed as a mild sprain. After more than two weeks of treatment, the elbow remains sore.

“I was hoping we would get some better news,” Melvin said. “I don’t think it’s a surgery-type of thing. The original MRI didn’t show anything that would suggest surgery. We’re going to take another MRI just to see how much better it has gotten, or if it’s gotten any better.”

While nobody has said Soriano’s extensive work in the winter league has affected his health this season, Melvin said the Mariners won’t allow him to be used again the same way.

Soriano pitched for Escogido and set a Dominican Winter League record with a 0.21 ERA. However, he started two playoff games and got more work than the Mariners had preferred, pitching 5 1/3 innings of Game 1 and five innings of the clinching Game 6.

“He went the innings that we wanted him to go,” Melvin said. “But when they got into the playoffs, he went a little longer than we wanted him to.”