PEORIA, Ariz. — The Seattle Mariners’ starting rotation wasn’t the only thing that took a hit this week after Cliff Lee threw a pitch at the head of a hitter and was suspended for five games.
The Mariners learned Friday that their star left-handed pitcher may be out longer because of an injury. Lee has a right lower abdominal strain and his return to the mound is uncertain.
He flew to Seattle and had a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection, administered by team medical director Dr. Ed Khalfayan. Lee will be examined again in seven days, which leaves little time to get him ready for the beginning of the regular season.
“It’s not a good feeling,” manager Don Wakamatsu said of the predicament the team faces without a key starting pitcher. “We’re extremely excited about having him in the rotation and to know that we have to evaluate and see where we’re at, it makes the decision-making process a little harder. For now, we’ll let it run its course and we’ll re-evaluate in a week.”
The pitching news didn’t get any better during Friday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
Doug Fister, among those who came to spring training with an opportunity to win the one vacancy in the rotation, was hit on his right forearm by a line drive and had to leave the game with two outs in the first inning.
Wakamatsu said Lee suffered the injury during the incident that ultimately led to his suspension.
In the first inning of Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson, he collided with the Diamondbacks’ Chris Snyder while he attempted to back up a play at the plate.
The two had brief words after that and, when Snyder batted in the third inning, Lee threw a pitch that sailed near Snyder’s head. Snyder approached the mound and players from both benches spilled onto the field, although no punches were thrown.
Lee was ejected from the game and, on Wednesday, given a five-game suspension by Major League Baseball. He said he would appeal the suspension, although as of Friday afternoon the Mariners weren’t aware that it officially had been done, or what the timetable would be for a hearing.
The suspension, even if reduced, threatened to wreck the Mariners’ plan to start the season with Felix Hernandez and Lee at the top of their starting rotation.
“We’ll see where he’s at in a week,” Wakamatsu. “He might feel like a million dollars, he might feel it a little bit, we just don’t know.”
Wakamatsu said he didn’t know about the injury until after Lee threw in the bullpen Thursday morning. Lee didn’t show any outward signs of the injury during that session, although he later said he had felt discomfort going back to Monday’s game after he collided with Snyder.
“Knowing the man, he’s a tough guy,” Wakamatsu said. “I’m sure the last thing he wants to do is this. Sometimes you get a tweak here and there, and human nature is that (you hope) it’ll go away. I think it’s good that we caught it when we did.”
The Mariners already were in a quandary roster-wise because of Lee’s suspension. For whatever length of time he’d be suspended, the team will play with a 24-man roster. Wakamatsu said that makes it difficult to pursue the idea of operating with an 11-man pitching staff, which would give the Mariners an opportunity to carry an extra position player.
“It’s kind of a mess right now,” Wakamatsu said. “We’ve said all along that we were trying to look at 11 pitchers. That might change now because obviously if he’s suspended and he misses a start, we’ll have a 24-man roster, which (has an) effect on what’s going to happen.”
Asked how many Plan Bs he and pitching coach Rick Adair have considered since Wednesday, Wakamatsu managed a smile.
“Rick has a waste basket full of wadded-up paper,” Wakamatsu said. “It’s more about the dynamics of how everything fits together. We have 14 days before we break and some decisions to make. This isn’t one we prepared for.”
Read Kirby Arnold’s blog on the Mariners at www.heraldnet.com/marinersblog
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