SEATTLE — One day after he lasted just 31/3 innings in a second straight ineffective start, Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez was fine physically Saturday. In his previous start, last Saturday against the Rangers, Hernandez was pulled after 41/3 innings because of a bad back.
“Felix had no physical problems last night and was fine today,” manager Don Wakamatsu said Saturday. “What you saw last night was a pitcher trying to create things — he had about eight different deliveries. That’s why you saw him throwing fastballs from 91-97 mph.”
Hernandez puts a lot of torque on his back because of the way he twists in his windup, much the way Erik Bedard has done, but it has worked for him. The Mariners have worked with Bedard to tone down his big turn, mostly to ease the strain on his surgically repaired left shoulder. Wakamatsu said there’s no such plan with Hernandez.
“That’s the personality in his delivery,” Wakamatsu said. “If it ever began to cause a problem with his arm or back or knee, we’d change it. To this point, it hasn’t. We want to keep it within a normal range.”
SS Wilson still ailing
Wakamatsu said he remains hopeful that shortstop Jack Wilson can play Tuesday at Baltimore, although the tightness in his right hamstring hasn’t improved dramatically. Wilson hasn’t played since he was pulled from Wednesday’s game.
“Jack is not progressing like we’d hope,” said Wakamatsu, who had Wilson available Saturday night only in an emergency.
Relief pitcher Mark Lowe, who had an epidural in his back Tuesday, was feeling better and may join the team in Oakland at the end of the next road trip. Lowe probably will throw a bullpen this week.
A magnetic resonance imaging exam early this week showed that Lowe has a bone spur that’s causing inflammation in his lower back.
Of note
When Jesus Colome, Brandon League and Kanekoa Texeira combined to pitch 52/3 innings without allowing a hit Friday night, it was the 10th time in Mariners history that the bullpen pitched at least five hitless innings. … Saturday was catcher Adam Moore’s 26th birthday. … The Angels’ Joe Saunders was the first left-handed starting pitcher to face the Mariners since the Rangers’ Matt Harrison on May 1, and they won’t face another lefty until the two-game series at Oakland on May 17-18, and that’s only if Dallas Braden pitches one of those games.
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