PEORIA, Ariz. — March 31 has long been the goal.
That date — this Monday, the Seattle Mariners’ season opener at Safeco Field — was the motivation behind the pain, the sweat and the creeping doubts that Chris Reitsma, Arthur Rhodes and Mark Lowe endured the past several months as they came back from elbow operations.
The Mariners’ three “rehab relievers” were determined to show the team that they can pitch quality innings when the season begins. Wednesday, the team decided that at least two of them — Rhodes and Reitsma — aren’t ready.
The Mariners told those two that they won’t break camp with the rest of the team, that they’ll continue building their arm strength in minor league games.
Rhodes, still several weeks from reaching the 12-month mark that’s the usual recovery period from Tommy John surgery, said he agrees with the team’s decision.
Reitsma apparently didn’t.
He visited with a few teammates Wednesday morning after being told of the plan for him, then walked out of the clubhouse with his Mariners equipment bag in hand and drove away in his truck to consider his options.
He has few.
Because he signed a minor league contract, he can’t refuse an assignment to the minor leagues, although he can request his release and hope the Mariners grant it. He said early in spring training that he turned down offers from other teams in order to re-sign a minor-league deal with the Mariners because he felt an obligation to the organization after missing most of last season with the injury.
The Mariners hope Reitsma will be back, and Rhodes planned to talk with him later in the day to try and convince him it’s best that he remain with the club.
Rhodes said he’s OK with the plan for him, although it stung to be told he wouldn’t be with the team on opening day.
“When you hear it, it’s tough,” he said. “But in my situation, with Tommy John, they say it’ll be a year when I’m (completely) healthy. They don’t want me to push myself. I’d rather come back here and throw some back-to-back games and see how I feel.”
That’s a big change of approach for the 38-year-old Rhodes, who’s never been the most patient guy.
“I’m using my head right now,” he said. “I’m on board with this. They want me to come back here and get some back-to-back games and then come back up.”
Manager John McLaren said it became apparent that neither Reitsma nor Rhodes would be ready to pitch in back-to-back games by the opener, and he didn’t want too many one-inning relief pitchers on the roster. Right-hander Brandon Morrow, who had a shoulder issue midway through camp, also won’t be ready for back-to-back duty.
“When you’ve got to be cautious with three or four guys, you’re asking for problems,” McLaren said. “We’re looking at the big picture. It’s for the benefit of the player and definitely for us.”
McLaren wouldn’t say he feels more secure with Lowe’s situation, although he recently pitched in back-to-back games and is in the mix of pitchers the team is considering for the opening-day roster — along with Morrow, R.A. Dickey, Cha Seung Baek and Ryan Rowland-Smith.
“We’re still sorting everything out,” McLaren said.
Morrow’s early shoulder trouble and his recent bout of wildness with his fastball have cast a question over whether he’ll be on the opening-day roster or go to the minor leagues to continue refining his pitches. McLaren said Morrow would not go on the disabled list.
“He feels good,” McLaren said. “It’s just a matter of getting his command and getting his delivery smoothed out. I haven’t gotten any red flags from anybody.”
McLaren is convinced that Rhodes and Reitsma can help the team when they’re completely healthy. He said Rhodes is throwing the ball better now than he’s ever seen, and that goes back to Rhodes’ dominant 2001 season with the M’s when he was baseball’s best left-handed relief specialist.
Rhodes won’t disagree.
“The last couple of years I was hurt and I don’t think I was throwing the ball well,” he said. “But this year, I’ve got a brand-new elbow and I think that helps. I’ve got a better fastball and I’m spotting my fastball where I want it. I feel good.
“But I know it’s going to take time. I want to come back here, pitch back-to-back, take a day off, pitch back-to-back again and then if I feel good I’ll be ready the second week of April.”
Read Kirby Arnold’s blog on the Mariners at www.heraldnet.com
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