Next Series

Opponent: Oakland A’s

When: 7:07 p.m. today and Thursday.

Where: McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, Calif.

TV: Fox Sports Net (cable) both games.

Radio: KOMO (1000 AM) both games

Pitchers: Today — Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez (1-0, 1.66 earned run average) vs. right-hander Joe Blanton (1-2, 4.15). Thursday — Right-hander Carlos Silva (2-0, 3.27) vs. left-hander Lenny DiNardo (1-0, 6.75).

Bedard lands on DL

Erik Bedard said his troublesome left hip felt fine Tuesday after he played catch, but the Mariners have decided to give it more time to heal.

They placed Bedard on the 15-day disabled list — retroactive to April 9, the day after his last outing.

“We have said consistently that we’re not going to rush Erik back,” manager John McLaren said. “At this point, we thought it made the most sense to go ahead and place him on the DL.”

Because Bedard’s DL time is retroactive, he could miss only one more start and return on April 24 against the Orioles. Knuckleball specialist R.A. Dickey will start in Bedard’s place Friday against the Angels in Anaheim.

“I think rest is the only thing that helps it now,” Bedard said. “But it’s better.”

He missed starts the past two Sundays when soreness in his hip flared up. In between, he beat the Devil Rays on April 8, allowing three earned runs in six innings.

Redemption for Dickey: The last time Dickey started a game, he tied a modern-day major league record by allowing six home runs. That was early in the 2006 season when Dickey was beginning to throw the knuckleball and absorbing some hard knocks.

He has spent the past two seasons in the minor leagues refining that pitch and, after more than two years of trial, error, success and setbacks, he’ll start again on Friday.

“Baseball’s a funny game. It’s a real redemptive game,” Dickey said. “It’s been a long time coming and I’ve had to do a lot of work to get to that place. I’m in a place where I feel I’m ready for it. I’m not putting all my eggs into one start, but I feel like I’ve got a lot to offer and I’m going to try to live in the moment of it and see what happens.”

Dickey, called up from Class AAA Tacoma on Monday, pitched an inning of relief that night against the Royals. It was his first time in a major league game since April 6, 2006, when he started for the Rangers and allowed six home runs to the Tigers in 3 1/3 innings — the most homers allowed by one pitcher in a game. He was sent to the minors the next day and didn’t make it back until the M’s called him up.

“It was fairly emotional,” Dickey said of his inning Monday. “Getting back up here, it’s been a long time and it’s taken a lot of sacrifice and a lot of perseverance. It’s been painful at times.”

Rhodes beats the clock: When Dr. Lewis Yocum operated on Arthur Rhodes’ left elbow on May 2 last year, he told the veteran reliever that he’d endure a 12-month recovery period.

Tuesday, Rhodes pitched in the ninth inning to beat the doctor’s time schedule by 18 days.

“He told me it would take 12 months, but I said, ‘I’m a hard worker. I’ll come back before that,’” Rhodes said. “May 2 is 12 months. I beat it and I’m proud of myself.”

Rhodes got one out and gave up two singles before he was pulled, but he said it was a glorious return. It was his first major league appearance since Sept. 9, 2006.

“I thought about this day,” he said. “I was excited. I had just a little bit of butterflies. But after I threw the first pitch, it was, ‘All right, you feel good, just keep the ball down in the strike zone.’”

Of note: Closer J.J. Putz played catch Tuesday and again said he felt fine. Putz (soreness in his right side) is eligible to come off the disabled list Thursday, although the Mariners aren’t saying when he might return. He will throw off the bullpen mound today in Oakland, McLaren said. … McLaren, Miguel Batista, Yuniesky Betancourt, Rhodes and Adrian Beltre wore No. 42 on Tuesday in observance of the 61st anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier. The players were to sign the jerseys, which will be auctioned on the MLB.com website. … “I’m big on the history of the game,” McLaren said. “He’s probably had a bigger impact than anybody on the game, not only from a baseball standpoint but all the way around because of what he endured.”

Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer

Opponent: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

When: 6:10 p.m.

Where: Safeco Field

TV: Fox Sports Northwest (cable)

Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)

Probable starters: Seattle right-hander Carlos Silva (1-0, 3.21 earned run average) vs. right-hander Jon Garland (1-1, 5.54).

M’s call up Norton, designate Jimerson

Looking for more pop in the lineup, the Mariners called up veteran infielder Greg Norton from Tacoma Friday and designated outfielder Charlton Jimerson for assignment.

Norton, 35, is a switch-hitter. In Tacoma, he was hitting .409, with two doubles and three RBI in seven games for the Rainiers. He played two games at first base and three in the outfield for Tacoma.

The M’s have 10 days to either trade, release or assign Jimerson outright to the minors.

“We debated it coming out of spring training, whether we’d use Jimerson or Norton’s bat off the bench more,” Seattle manager John McLaren said. “The way it’s been going, we need to get a different look.”

Norton is a career .252 hitter in 11 seasons with four different teams. He hit .243 in 75 games with Tampa Bay last season, with four homers and 23 RBI.

He said he had mixed feeling about being called up. Tacoma was about to go on a road trip to Colorado Springs, a short drive from where his family lives, in Denver.

“On the other hand, I’m going to the big leagues, so it kind of balances out,” Norton said.

Jimerson had just one at-bat and was primarily used as a pinch runner. Because of the M’s offensive problems, the opportunity to use Jimerson rarely came up. Slower players — Kenji Johjima, Jose Vidro, Brad Wilkerson, etc. — have hit little, limiting the possibility of Jimerson to use his blazing speed as a pinch runner.

“I’m still shocked,” Jimerson said shortly before the game. “What is it, 10 games (into the season)? Shocked.”

Not just another series: Even though it’s early in the season, McLaren said the three-game series against the Angels is important.

“Whenever you play your rivals, it means a lot,” he said. “It’s not a do-or-die situation by any means. We just want to play well. We’ve won two of three series, but then we had that terrible series in Baltimore, where they swept us.”

Putz improves: Injured closer J.J. Putz, on the 15-day disabled list with a rib-cage injury, threw well Friday before the game, McLaren said.

“He was good, he threw free,” McLaren said. “I just got the good news. I don’t know the next step. Stay tuned.”

Dribblers: Going into Friday’s game, the M’s had leads in five of their six losses. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Mariners are the fifth team in AL history to lose five or more of their first seven games and to have had a lead in all of their losses … Through 10 games, Richie Sexson was tied for the AL lead with nine walks. He’d drawn at least one walk in eight games, including seven of the last eight. Six of his walks have come on a full count … Going into Friday’s game, Seattle’s bullpen had a 6.75 ERA, 29th in the majors, ahead of only the Angels (6.85). Seattle’s starters are 1-3 with a 3.00 ERA.

John Sleeper, Herald Writer