Ten days after his right forearm ballooned up like Popeye’s after he was smoked by a line drive, Doug Fister faced hitters again this morning in a minor league intrasquad game.
Fister threw 65 pitches for the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers against the Class AA West Tennessee DiamondJaxx and struck out five. He gave up a home run to Carlos Peguero (who hit 31 of them last year at Class A High Desert), but otherwise kept his pitches down and seemed ready for the next step, a start this weekend against the Rockies in Albuquerque.
After that?
Pitching coach Rick Adair said no decisions have been made concerning the starting rotation. If the current alignment holds — and Tuesday’s off day will allow the Mariners to juggle things — Fister would get the fourth game of the regular season against Oakland. Then again, Jason Vargas is starting today against the A’s and that puts him in line for that April 8 game in Oakland as well.
The important thing concerning Fister is that his forearm feels fine and that he’s able to work on the adjustments Adair has wanted him to make, namely driving more directly toward home plate.
Reliever Shawn Kelley pitched two innings and Chad Cordero one inning in the same game today.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
