PEORIA, Ariz. — Erik Bedard and Brandon Morrow seem to be progressing from the ailments that have slowed them at spring training, but now there’s another Seattle Mariners pitcher who is hurting.
Right-hander Roy Corcoran, competing to become the Mariners’ closer, has tendinitis in his biceps muscle and has been shut down.
Like the others, Corcoran’s situation isn’t considered serious, and he may return to the bullpen mound today. But it’s another hiccup in a camp that has experienced several to its front-line pitchers.
Besides Bedard and Morrow, closer candidate Tyler Walker suffered a quad injury the first week of workouts. He has come back from that and pitched in five exhibitions without allowing a run until his last outing, when the Cubs rocked him for four hits and three runs in 2/3 inning.
Corcoran has been hot and cold most of the month.
Australia’s World Baseball Classic team pounded him for four hits and four runs in one inning March 4, but he came back and pitched a perfect inning in each of his next two outings against the Dodgers and White Sox. Last Thursday, however, Corcoran gave up four hits, two walks and four runs to the Rangers and got only one out. He has a 10.80 spring ERA.
“We kind of slowed him down a little bit but he’s going to throw a bullpen (today) and see if he’s back to normal,” manager Don Wakamatsu said.
Bedard, scratched from his start Wednesday because of a sore right gluteus maximus muscle, will start today’s split-squad game against the Dodgers and pitch one inning. Wakamatsu said there’s still time for Bedard to be ready for the season, although just barely.
“If everything goes well and there’s no other setbacks, I think he’ll be fine,” Wakamatsu said.
The Mariners aren’t so certain about Morrow, who probably won’t be ready to pitch when the fifth rotation spot comes up for the first time on April 10. He’s scheduled to throw off the bullpen mound this morning.
“The bullpen’s going to be a big one for Morrow,” Wakamatsu said. “If we can stretch him out a little bit and there’s no problems with his forearm, we’ll see how fast we can (bring) him along.”
The Mariners also are encouraged by the progress of two left-handed relievers, Tyler Johnson and Cesar Jimenez.
Johnson, the best hope to become the left-handed relief specialist, will throw a bullpen today and a simulated game Wednesday. If those go well, he should be ready for exhibition games. Johnson missed all last year because of rotator cuff surgery and suffered a setback the first week of spring training.
Jimenez, slowed because of a left biceps tendinitis, will pitch in today’s split-squad game against the Indians in Goodyear.
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